The Rock Blogger

The Gault . Even As All Before Us . 2005. 4 stars .

The Gault was a short-lived doom metal band formed out of the ashes of San Francisco’s acclaimed Weakling, and Even As All Before Us was their sole, devastating release. This hard to find album is one of the most emotionally exhausting recordings I have come across, as it incorporates the gloomy atmosphere of early industrial rock and melds it with jangly post-punk instrumentation, producing a depressive, droning sound that insulates your senses.

While the throbbing bass lines, martial drumming and Gothic vocals place The Gault among doom metal peers Warning and the more experimental work of Earth and Sunn O))), their cacophonous guitar work also follows a shoegazing torrent akin to The Angelic Process . Naming off influences and contemporaries is a suitable way of describing The Gault’s sound, but conveying the crushing effect this music has on you is a much harder task. It’s swirling rhythms and shimmering guitars are dizzying in their intensity and will drown out any distractions from the outside world. Even As All Before Us moves like a relentless undertow, constantly drawing you into a violently spinning current. This is not to say that The Gault’s music isn’t beautiful or redemptive, as tracks like "Country Road, Six Miles In" and "The Shore Becomes the Enemy" also feature the serene, airy vocals of Lorraine Rath to balance out the deep and booming voice of Ed Kunakemakorn, who dominates most of the album.

For its almost militant energy, disturbing vocals, and natural imagery, Even As All Before Us is a unique contribution to the doom metal genre, capturing the feeling of an arduous journey to somewhere far removed from the comforting spaces of the everyday. This is music that sticks with you long after the tracks are over, pushing you into a difficult, if not tormented, state of mind. Despite their challenging demeanor, The Gault are undeniably masters of genuine emotional delivery, playing out a haunting musical drama that sears its way into your memory.

Velvet Cacoon. Genevieve . 2004. Full Moon Productions . 4.5 stars .

“Nothing matters aside from catharsis. The feeling of catharsis is what true people seek out. The problem is that virtually nobody is true anymore. Politics, religion, stock markets… It are these manmade things which people obsess over that is ruining everything. It is why people are loading up on anti-depressants and therapy sessions. Mankind created this demon of a system and most people are too busy on their cellphones to realize that this demon they feed and fund is the same thing that has ruined them. I can neither help nor save them. Misanthropy is the nautical map of my life. It has brought me true catharsis.”- ‘SGL’ Velvet Cacoon

One of the most mysterious and controversial Black Metal bands to come from the Pacific Northwest, Portland’s Velvet Cacoon play intensely atmospheric music partly inspired by radical environmentalism and the abuse of Dextromethorphan. The duo, known as ‘Josh’ (SGL) and ‘Angela’ (LVG), have been the subject of many bizarre rumors and hoaxes, giving their work an extreme, larger than life mystique. Stories of their asexuality, ‘ecofascist’ political beliefs, accusations of plagiarism, and the creation of their own diesel powered guitar (the ‘diesel harp’) have made the band the subject of heated discussion online and within the metal underground.

Despite the dubious nature of Velvet Cacoon, their sole ‘public’ album Genevieve is certainly a uncompromising masterpiece, possessing a claustrophobic and haunted beauty. The distorted guitar tone that dominates the mix sounds as if it was recorded underwater, adding to the oceanic themes evoked by the tracks “P.S. Nautical” and “Avalon Polo”. The cold and alien sound emitted from these blurred riffs is daunting, making the mystery of its creation ever more compelling. Deep, propulsive drum machine rolls provide the current for these black pools, moving at a constant, unchanging rhythm that palpitates like a terrified heartbeat. Strange, distant vocals whisper and hiss in the shadows, providing a menacing and ghostly presence to the ruminations. The entire experience is enveloping, opening black holes to suck in all light and emotion, leaving you to contemplate the harsh throes of the universe. While Genevieve may initially sound disturbing, it is also a hypnotic and existential listen, instigating deep reflection and wonder long after the bleak ambient closer “Bete Noir” has faded to black.

For its dark, natural (and supernatural) overtones, Genevieve is a rare musical experience that presents emotional and intellectual challenges that will be sure to stick with the attuned listener. Anyone interested in the work of Burzum, Wolves in the Throne Room and Sunn O))) will find much to like here, as Velvet Cacoon shares many aesthetic elements with those acts. I also recommend reading the rare interviews with the band, as they discuss the controversies surrounding their work as well as their esoteric views on drug use, sexuality, the environment and the universe. While some of their views may be odd and provocative, they certainly are intelligently put and make for an interesting read.

Interview with Velvet Cacoon: Chronicles of Choas

Interview with Velvet Cacoon: Full Moon Productions

Avalon Polo

Boris. Smile. 2008. Southern Lord. 3 stars.

Tokyo’s Boris have continually proved themselves to be one of the world’s premier drone bands, expanding their sound to encompass everything from punk to psychedelic styles, notoriously creating noisy and feedback drenched epics that make your ears bleed and your synapses melt. The tradition carries on to their latest full length Smile, which has finally come to grace the shores of the Western Hemisphere.

While Smile isn’t nearly as awe-inspiring as last year’s Rock Dream, or even 2005’s more punk inspired Pink, it still packs an enormous punch, with a flair for monstrous riffs and echoing distortion. Those accustomed to Boris’ inhuman use of gritty noise and electronic effects will find much comfort here, as their sound is still massive and overpowering. Making this release standout though is the inclusion of simmering melodies that peak in from time to time, as drawn out Japanese vocals careen across in slow crescendos, just before the songs are set aflame by processed guitar fuzz.

Despite Boris’ dabbling in experimental bass loops, effects and even some catchy hooks, many of these jams meander, becoming self-indulgent acts of amp worship that drains your emotions and your attention span. I’m sure more seasoned ears will appreciate the near 20 minute “You Were Holding an Umbrella (Pt. 2)”, but I just found the whole affair to be excessive. Smile may not be breaking new ground for Boris, but it does showcase their attention to detail and willingness to push their sound in new (if not confusing) directions. A must for fans, a cautionary recommendation for newcomers.

‘Statement’

Zebulon Pike . II: The Deafening Twilight . 2006. 4 stars .

A brilliant album from this underwritten Minnesota band. II: The Deafening Twilight is the epitome of progressive metal, somehow managing to capture the crushing bass rhythms and distortion of doom while still thundering forward with epically technical energy. Zubulon Pike are as awe-inspiring as post metal acts like Pelican or The Russian Circles, but they sound like they are having the most fun, changing tempos and reveling in fuzzed out riffs across these 5 monstrous songs, the longest being the 20 minute "Ashes of Xerxes, Breath of Titan".

The captivating pacing of this album is reason enough to give it a spin, as wiry guitar riffs spiral in tense, climatic cycles, evoking the dark astral sides of Isis and even Tool. There’s no vocals though, this is strictly an instrumental affair, making it a perfect metal album for post rock fans fond of Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky.

Overall, a wickedly fast and complex effort that is able to maintain direction and energy across its psychedelic marathons. The album’s cataclysmic sound might become emotionally draining across its hour plus duration, so come into this album prepared for long and immersing trip.

Warning. Watching From a Distance. 2006. 4 stars.

After reading some glowing reviews online, I came across Warning, an influential doom metal band from Harlow, UK. Watching From a Distance has been hailed as not only their greatest opus, but one of the landmark metal albums of this decade. Warning’s music is monolithic, with powerful, sludgy riffs droning across mid tempo drum beats and pained, depressive vocals courtesy of the bellowing Patrick Walker. His efforts on this are surprisingly beautiful , as his plaintive baritone agonizes over lost love and unconquerable separations, likening himself to a wounded soldier trying to keep his strength across impossible terrain. Love is a battlefield and Walker expresses this with his every tension filled word.

The slow, thundering musicianship behind Walker is also deeply melancholic, as the distorted guitars reverberate with crushing intensity, providing a thick mist for the band to loose themselves in. The grooves are hypnotic and dense, creating a massive and heavy backdrop for the stunning clarity of Walker’s lyrics. For its lovelorn narratives and massive dynamics, Watching From a Distance is an impassioned metal record that deviates from the fast tempos and shrieking vocals associated with metal to pursue a more introspective journey. While Warning never stray far from the dark precipices they set themselves in, forever trudging in their slow and spacey rhythms, Walker’s convincing delivery, and the band’s conviction to atmosphere, makes them leading statesmen for modern doom metal.

“Faces” from a 2007 performance in London

Earth. The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull. 2008. 3.5 stars.

This is music for stoned, post-apocalyptic cowboys, like the Mad Max set, but more relaxed and pining for a peyote journey. The influential and experimental Earth, who revolutionized stoner rock with the minimalist drones of 2, return to the doomed Western landscapes they began exploring with 2005’s Hex. The jams here are slow, heavy and hypnotic, luring you with its steady, slithering bass grooves and catatonic drumming. The mood they establish is introspective and sedative, nudging you into an ancient and primal feelings.

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This is a live video of the cult drone-doom band Earth performing “Plague of Angels”. This song is a fitting demonstration of Earth’s dust bowl psychedelia, producing reverberating waves of intense, bass laden riffs over deliberate drum fills and evocative noise passages. This song appears on the excellent Earth/Sunn O))) split Angel Coma.

Earth/Sunn O))) Angel Coma 2006 4 stars.

Earth/KK Null Dexamyl/Andromeda. 2005. 3.5 stars.
I also picked up the rare Earth/KK Null split Dexamyl / Andromeda which features a live Earth track and two experimental noise tracks from the Japanese avant-garde artist KK Null. Pick it up if you can, its a fuzzed out head trip like no other.