Pitchfork

This month's column was written on the run: Most of it came together on a Reverend Kriss Hades-enthused friend's computer in a little kitchen in Chicago. Because I knew I'd be outside of New York when I scribbled the installment, I decided I should pay homage to the Windy City. Last month featured Nachtmystium's Blake Judd, who resides in the Chicago area, so maybe I'm being Chi Town centric; regardless, on June 29 I met up with three of the area's loud music luminaries at Zakopane, a working-class Polish bar on Division, to discuss a few somewhat recent metal releases. The reviewers were former Whitehouse member Peter Sotos, one of contemporary transgressive literature's most important authors and a good friend; prepared-guitar improviser, electronics/laptop guru, steely Sunn 0))) collaborator Kevin Drumm; and Mark Solotroff, the leather-clad vocalist of Bloodyminded and BloodLust! records honcho.

It's been a summer of comebacks: Monotheist, Celtic Frost's first album in 15 years, came out at the end of May and rules; Slayer's first studio album in six years, Christ Illusion, dropped yesterday; and A Matter of Life and Death, Iron Maiden's first since 2003's Dance of Death surfaces at the end of the month. There are plenty of oldster live actions as well-- for instance, Emperor's reunion tour buzzed through New York in July.

All these and other higher profile releases are intriguing (and it'll be great to see Celtic Frost at B.B. Kings in September), but I decided to ask the Chicago trio about lesser-known returns-to-form as well as newbies garnering fewer column inches. The rules: I brought my laptop and some CD's to the bar and they listened to one track from each band. There was no blindfolding and I told them what they were hearing, so with apologies to The Wire, I guess it's a sort of Visible Jukebox. We mostly drank Zywiec's; some preferred vodka with cranberry juice. To keep things as honest as possible, I've printed the following in the order tracks were reviewed as well as according to the order of the respondents. I added my own two cents after the fact to give the stuff a bit of a context.

Gorgoroth: "Wound upon Wound"
Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam (Candlelight Records)
Bergen old timers, sheep decapitators, and hammer-wielding philosophers, Gorgoroth have released seven albums since forming in 1992, but the lineup's shifted variously (guitarist Infernus is the last of the original members in the band). For their first album in three years, the trio hooked up with session drummer Frost of fellow Norwegian black metalists 1349 and Satyricon. Incidentally, Celtic Frost is currently on tour with 1349-- and bassist King Ov Hell quit Gorgoroth in June, so who knows what's up next. Gaahl, the towering vocalist currently serving jailtime for kicking some dude's ass and then threatening to drink his blood, drips with corpsepaint and his customary satanic and Nietzschian (see, for instance, the band's last album, Twilight of the Idols) vibe. The album's short-- just 31 minutes-- but each moment is crammed with baroque sounds. In retrospect, I should've played the listeners "God Seed (Twilight of the Idols)", which is motored by amphetamine drums, and goes back to Nietszche's 1895 text and its oft-quoted "What does not destroy me, makes me stronger" (see, for instance, Voivod's press release).

Peter Sotos: No point in listening to it, frankly. Although Gaahl's lyrics are supposed to be deeper this time out, the idea of looking for such is silly. I'll check the links and magazine articles and find something worthwhile there, I'm sure.

Kevin Drumm: I can't really hear this track too well with the AC/DC on the jukebox; it's not a very good mash up. Can't really say anything about it except that on Gorgoroth's website there's a link to NAMBLA and Gaahl has recently acquired a foster child. That's interesting!

Mark Solotroff: "Sympathy For the Devil" is [now] playing in the background. The Rolling Stones on the jukebox seem far more evil than Gorgoroth on the computer, but that may be an unfair comparison. That Laibach version sucked, which makes me think of Laibach working with Morbid Angel, which really, really sucked. Okay, this is pretty intense, actually.

Agalloch: "Falling Snow"
Ashes Against the Grain (The End)
This low-key Portland, Ore., quintet's Ashes Against the Grain-- the group's third album since 1999-- is an ambitiously propulsive amalgam of doom, black metal, pale folksiness, operatic rock, post-rock hooks, Opethian intricacies, gothy experimental ambient dreaminess, and a piano-ridden three-part movement called "Our Fortress Is Burning". I'm slated for a full-length review soon, so for now, I'll keep my gushing to that.

Peter Sotos: Black metal needs more melody, apparently. But it also needs a context. It's curious to me that these bands get away with titles like "Falling Snow". In the end, their references are more entertaining than their art. I'm sure their audience is cute, yes?

Kevin Drumm: I don't like the keyboards, but I can't tell if they're coming from the damned jukebox or not. Not so hot on the vocals. Think I'll pass.

Mark Solotroff: Epic. I like how it starts. I can tell you this...I do not want to die on a mountain. This gets way too prog.

Merrimack: "Seraphic Conspiracy (Of the Angels and Their Mission)"
from Of Entropy and Life Denial (Moribund Cult)
Pummeling! This is a French black metal quintet that formed in 1994 but didn't put out a full-length debut until 2002's Ashes of Purification. Super-technical and speedy and old-school; should be listened to in tandem with Deathspell Omega and replays of Zidane head-butting that Italian guy. The titles are long; not Red Sparowes long, but substantial. Like Gorgoroth, they also recently lost a bass player: Here, Dispater replaces Seremoth. On this particular track, vocalist Terrorizt intones, among other things: "Heavenly messengers of coal and fire, keeping hearts beating in vain, emissaries of the shepherd of terror, armed with rusty blunt blades. Bathed and lulled in the warm light of lies, like XanaX for the soul, the truth has died in all spirits, they rejoice and laugh as it burns..."

Peter Sotos: It's really traditional sounding isn't it? The "brutal" bits are when it slows down to a Black Sabbath rip-off. Honestly, these kids today. No history, no awareness of what they're doing. Makes me miss Birthday Party a bit.

Kevin Drumm: Sounds okay. I like the breakdown slow part better than the fast section. Kinda goes on too long, though.

Mark Solotroff: Well, I can't make out any lyrics, but this is very heavy, and the vocals sound tough.

Dragonforce: "Through the Fire and Flames"
Inhuman Rampage (Roadrunner)
I read a piece somewhere in which guitarist Herman Li, "Winner of the Dimebag Darrell Best Young Guitarist award at Metal Hammer UK's Golden Gods," admits to the early influence of Bon Jovi. Props for not being ashamed. Plus, dude can shred, so maybe Richie Sambora's good for something. The UK quintet plays speedy, grandiose, over-the-top power metal.

Peter Sotos: Life's too short for widdly power metal. It's far more interesting to talk to Kevin about how much drunker he is than me. I have a soft spot for Judas Priest. But then, none of these bands really sound like Judas Priest outside of the label and commercial reference. It might be far too embarrassing to listen to this as an adult. Can't imagine that it's acceptable in high school either, however. Kids, call me, I can help.

Kevin Drumm: Immediately after Peter heard this track he started hitting on girls; hasn't happened since Operation: Mindcrime came out.

Mark Solotroff: Well, better than the Elvis Costello song that is on, but this sounds like a power metal band channeling Mötley Crüe. Not my cup of tea. Next...

Enslaved: "Path to Vanir"
Ruun (Candlelight)
Last year's Norwegian Grammy award-winning Isa was one of my favorites. This track's riffs aren't as immediately barbed as Isa's "Bounded by Allegiance," but on a whole, Ruun more consistently kicks ass. (Plus, they continue to make synthesizers look tough.) The Bergen-born quintet's been around since 1991 in various formations and has been consistently great since then-- they've certainly shifted from their blackened roots, but without losing much of the urgency or snarl. Check the creeping experimental knots, prog interludes, pop harmonics, and grayscale psychedelia. In all senses, they keep getting better.

Peter Sotos: The only bands that-- aesthetically-- make sense these days are Graveland and the Elite. They have a sweeping symphonic sound that's midly ridiculous to talk about but exciting to listen to. Actually, Graveland is more than a bit Spinal Tap. Lord Wind for fuck's sake. It would be nice if these bands were a bit more serious. There's no point in listening to shit like this, on the other hand.

Kevin Drumm: I don't know...

Mark Solotroff: Okay, I saw a great Enslaved show about 10 years ago at Wetlands. Height of summer. Boiling hot. Band comes out in full viking gear. Gigantic singer finally has to take off metal helmet or die from heat exhaustion. He had a great sense of humor about it, explaining that he was not used to such heat where he came from. Norway, right? It sounds like this band still has their balls intact, all these years later. This is catchy, very listenable. "Dazed And Confused" just came on the jukebox. Nothing better, is there? Well some tracks off of Unknown Pleasures or Closer maybe. But not right now.

Voivod: "The Getaway"
Katorz (The End Records)
Voivod have been around since 1982; former Metallica man Jason Newsted's been playing bass for them since 2002. As its title suggests, this is the Quebec sci-fi speed metal band's fourteenth album. It was recorded after the death last August of founding guitarist, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour. He'd stored the tracks on his computer (yah Pro Tools) and left instructions on how the band could create an album around those pieces.

Peter Sotos: Sounds kinda punky. Not in a good sense. I saw Voivod open for Venom and Slayer aeons ago. Nice to see a gas-masked vocalist for about five minutes. Truth is, I have a terrible prejudice against Canadians. They've ruined comedy and adhere to a suburban mentality. This is clearly evident in the new Voivod LP as well.

Kevin Drumm: This doesn't sound like Voivod but it sounds okay. Am I the only one who kind of liked Angel Rat? It's been about 12 years since I listened to it. Good riffs on this track. Good, RRRoaarRRR!!!!!!

Mark Solotroff: I am a huge Voivod fan. The first track is pretty "punk"-- very fast, not so heavy though. You cannot really be too hard on this CD, can you? I mean, the way it was pieced together, posthumously. I will buy this. I have everything else. I even have some thrashy punk LP that Away did the front cover artwork for. Bloodyminded tried to do a Voivod cover on our last tour, but there were too many lyrics for me to remember. Too many Zywiec's...I forget which song. Oh, "The Blower".

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I had a few more tracks, but after a certain number of drinks were consumed, I decided it would be best to turn off the laptop and give the guys a rest. So I did: We closed the bar out discussing other things, including Babe: Pig in the City. Here are the three additional collections I'd planned to tackle before the alcohol levels rose and turned the world blurry:

Celestiial: Desolate North [Bindrune Recordings; 2006]
"Into This Earth of Shallow Intent", the cricket-choir/funereal psych guitar opener to this set of ambient black metal naturalism would fit well with the Jewelled Antler posse (or Flying Saucer Attack, actually). Same goes for the melancholy outro, "Ushen". The rest of the album? More gristly and charred, it'd fit better with the Dead Raven Choir's acoustic black metal-- at least thematically. Minnesotan TR Anderson talks Deep Ecology in his descriptions, but unlike more contented wanderers like Brightblack Morning Light, he fills out his doomed pagan forest with his own disembodied scowls amid the spooky coyote calls. The cricket choirs and bird calls often drown out the misty guitars and drums-- exploding metal checklists with Native American flute, electronics, keys, harp. Things get a bit repetitious, but that sort of "consistency" pushes you further into the woods.

Kampfar: Kvass (Napalm/SPV)
The Fredrikstad, Norway-based black metal quartet spent three months recording this collection of frigid gorgeousness. Opener "Lyktemenn" offers a three-minute instrumental churn before vocalist Dolk enters with that menacing tongue rolling for the remainder of the the track's eight minutes. The lyrics are sung in Norwegian, but you can bet they're touching on Viking paganism and celebrating Norway's landscape. Musically, it's an excellently melodic and well-composed record: It might seem like straightforward black metal classicism, but pay attention to the contrast between Dolk's typically grinding voice and the pristine post-hardcore instrumentation, the wafting piano on "Ravenheart", "Hat Og Avind"'s Thursday-style harmonies, and the gentle wave of guitars on "Gaman Av Drømmer". Recommended.

Thralldom: A Shaman Steering The Vessel Of Vastness (Profound Lore)
This has been out since March. As we gear up for Xasthur's forthcoming Subliminal Genocide, it seems fitting to mention these guys, some of the longest running, ambitious, and overlooked U.S. black metal progenitors. Thralldom debuted with a demo in 1997; this was the third proper and final release. Main guy Killusion is Brooklyn-based Unearthly Trance vocalist/guitarist Ryan Lipynsky and plans to starting a new project, Drifting Collision. Here, he's still with drummer Jaldagar, tunnelling frenetic psychedelia that blends thundering high-wiring with trad guitar tapping/slides. From the deconstructo ambient rumbles of "Anticipation of an Obituary" to the bestial Big Black terror or "The Wolf Will Never Die", it's a supremely ambitious 34 minutes.

Note: Thanks to Kevin, Mark, and Peter for the good humor about the whole thing. Thanks twice to Peter for those Elite burns and for letting me turn what was supposed to be a regular visit into a project with a deadline.