Can I change this for another one?

CRUCIAMENTUM interview

2011-08-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

Seventeen questions for B.C. of Cruciamentum.

This interview was sent to this rather excellent English Death Metal band in the early summer months of 2010 and eventually returned to my inbox with all questions answered where it languished for many moons until now! The questions aren't terribly in-depth as they were meant as a precursor to an interview proper which was then supposed to be amalgamated and turned into a self-contained piece of writing about the band. Other things took over, time was spent unwisely and the interview became older and older. It's now positively geriatric but the questions were quite general so the information is not TOO outdated. B.C.'s articulate answers speak volumes and without further ado I give you CRUCIAMENTUM!:

What’s your favourite Manowar song?
Many killers, but I've always been fond of Revelation (Death's Angel) from 'Into Glory Ride'.

Why would you choose Death Metal as a form of expression?
The music of Cruciamentum is what flows naturally through our fingers as an expression of certain elements of our characters. That’s a result of course of what music we appreciate and are influenced by. For whatever reason, although we are very much four individuals with vastly differing metaphysical beliefs, we all have some common appreciation for the darker side of existence. From my personal point of view death is what gives life meaning – I certainly don’t ‘worship death’ in the manner which hundreds of new bands claim to do (and who suddenly have developed the same beliefs as those who have blazed the trail such as Necros Christos, yet are unable to express them in any interesting or profound way).
I see the relationship between artists and their expression as complex and difficult to explain. It’s sensible to say that when one creates a work of art, it contains a certain part or element of the creator(s), but in the same way having been created by a person it stands in a particular relation to them and reflects their totality. In the same way, if you believe that there is a some common essence underlying all representational existence, then a work of art expresses something particular and yet something general. I find the idea that a piece of music can be about something very hard to come to terms with philosophically, yet intuitively it seems very natural.

Tell us about the upcoming mini-LP please.
It'll be four songs; two on each side, and it’s far from a re-write of the demo. It's still crushing, dark and morbid death metal, but more developed; having two guitarists has enabled us to expand the arrangements, add twists to our riffing style yet, I think, retain the uniqueness which CoCC presented. We haven’t decided on a title as yet. There will also be a split 7” with Vasaeleth. We aren’t in any rush – the songs have been well honed and it’s important to get good atmospheric performances of them.
So how does a Cruciamentum song get composed? Generally basic riffs and structures are brought to the band by DL. The rest of us then add riffs and melodies, edit parts and fine tune the song. Geographical distance means that this is sometimes done remotely, but it’s a much more fulfilling and natural process when it’s done in the rehearsal room. I can’t help but feel that in the modern age far too few bands write music in this way, playing together and letting the energy and ideas flow naturally, and I think it shows in the poor structuring of songs that results. Lyrics generally come after, written by either myself or DL.

How often do you practice (yourself and as a band)?
Personally I don't consider myself much of a musician; I don't have a practise regime and as long as my playing is competent enough for the band I'm satisfied. As a band logistical difficulties limit us to practising about once a month. That’s a shame as far as I’m concerned, as rehearsals and the atmosphere they generate are the most important element of playing in a band.

(B.C. also played in two other bands called Dark Forest and Deceptor)
So tell us the reasons for leaving your other bands Dark Forest and Deceptor. Are Deceptor worth hearing?? The other Dark Forest guys and I had somewhat of a disagreement about the direction; I prefer my heavy metal raw and unpolished and they like things a little shinier... The new DF material I’ve heard live is great (although they ripped off The Ritual by Satan!), but I can’t help but feel that their new vocalist, superb singer that he is, doesn’t have the character that Christian has. I’m eager to hear the new LP that’s been recorded though. With Deceptor I just didn’t have the time to play in multiple bands that were based far apart geographically; however their material now I've left is vastly superior. It’s quite unique I think – elements from Voivod, Helstar, Death, etc. colliding in a violent phosphorescent explosion of white light.

(The following question came to me due to some conversations I had read on various Heavy Metal forums about Metalheads and the music their offspring listen to. In hindsight it's a bit silly but I still find it interesting...)
Do you have kids and if yes have you started to get them into metal, if no, do you intend to? Or could you care less about that kind of attitude?
I don't have children, but if I did I wouldn't directly turn them towards any path, other than appreciating the value of knowledge and philosophy. Of course, I might attempt to turn them away from certain strands of life which I consider less desirable, but that’s no less than I’d do to my friends and no less than any ethically motivated human being should do. I don’t consider metal to be something intrinsically superior.

The days of being in a Death Metal band and having that as a career choice are well and truly gone for any up-and-coming underground death metal act it seems. Did it ever seem like a viable option to you when you saw the success that bands like Morbid Angel, Sepultura etc. etc. could enjoy? Do you think you would ever devote your entire life to music and pursue it as a career or would you be happy enough playing in a relatively unknown underground band?
The idea of playing in a professional band certainly appealed to me when I was younger, but I was under no illusions that it would ever happen whilst I continue to play metal. Strangely as I’ve got older, and found myself playing in a band who are offered gigs across the world I’ve found that it’s perhaps not something I want. The idea of a nomadic lifestyle isn’t much for me, and I’m not too fussed about the idea of travel. I’m happy at home surrounded by records, books and good food and drink. My satisfaction comes from music and as such I don't care if we have any level of appreciation at all. It’s not an opinion shared by my band mates, but I don’t care much about releasing records; I’m happy recording for my own pleasure.

What was it got you interested in Death Metal?
Altars of Madness.

Tell us about merchandise etc. that you have available at the moment.
Convocation of Crawling Chaos is being repressed on CD and vinyl by the esteemed Nuclear Winter shortly. Some people might grumble about demos being repressed, but in this day and age I can’t see much difference between a demo and an album; they’re all just recordings and I’d rather they were available if demand was there for them. A lot of similar underground ‘ethics’ are built on sandy foundations where people react emotively and conservatively rather than rationally. The MLP will be out in summer 2011 (hopefully!) also on Nuclear Winter, and I’m sure new shirts will follow.

Do you read ‘zines? which ones would you recommend?
I very much appreciate a good fanzine. There are far too many, mostly 'full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.' It's very easy seemingly for a zine to get accepted just by saying the right things and featuring the right bands, with no depth to the questions and content. Those I hold in high regard recently would include The Sinister Flame, Deathexecution, Devilment and Cunt Paste, etc. That latter is particulary great; over the four issues the editor has really found his own style, isn’t afraid to proffer an honest opinion and challenges those he interviews. Sometimes they aren’t up to that challenge sadly.

Favourite/least favourite film, food, holiday, comic, instrument brand, gig, mini-LP, memory of when you were growing up?
My favourite film is Alien. It's far less philosophical or intellectual than many other films I like, but the atmosphere is unmatched. There are a lot of bad films made, but I'm particularly not a fan of mindless gore/horror films. My favourite food is sushi. If I had only one place to visit, it would be Antarctica. I don't read comics. Rather than a favourite brand I suppose I have favourite instruments, and right now I’d love a Fender Telecaster. The best concert I’ve ever seen is difficult to say, but Immolation, Sadistic Intent, Enslaved and Black Witchery have all decimated me.

I hate albums that are too long. What about you? Why? I
f you're referring to albums that outstay their welcome, then I agree. (This is exactly what I was referring to!) Some people have a strange misconception that you’re ‘ripping off the fans’ if you release a short record. I suppose it comes from the moronic super-size American mentality. I’d far rather hear a great MLP that I wanted to play over and over than a padded out album stretching four songs worth of riffs over 60 minutes. If you're referring to long albums in general however, then I disagree. Something like Triune Impurity Rites or Darkspace III develops over the duration of the album, and the depth of that recording justifies entirely something more extended.

Should re-issues of classic or old, long out-of-print albums feature bonus tracks? Why?
Sure, I can't see any reason why not. From a purist point of view, I'd always prefer bonus tracks to be on a separate disc/vinyl, but I'm always glad to have them too. You can go over the top with bonus material (Sacrifice reissues perhaps) but with bands I'm dedicated to, hearing live material, rehearsals or rare tracks is always great. An earth-shaking live rendition, or a formative demo version of a great track works as an effective complement piece to the formally recorded versions.

Name me a defining Metal moment in your life. Why was it earth-shattering (if it was!)? Is Metal a lifestyle choice?
The defining metal moment of my life was buying Altars of Madness; the carefully controlled chaos of that recording led me into an abyss I don’t intend to escape from, a world of ever descending circles of bands, fanzines, thanks lists, flyers, records, etc, a world of mystery and obscurity, which not even the internet has been able to dissolve.
Metal is a lifestyle choice for plenty of people, which would be fine apart from the negative impact on me. There’s nothing that annoys me more than the ‘scene’ mentality at gigs for example in London where people go because of the nature of the event and gathering, rather than to appreciate the bands. They then end up stumbling about drunk, barging into me, and talking through any atmospheric parts, which they are too stupid to appreciate the depth of. I suppose as long as they’re supporting the bands it’s a positive thing in a way, but having bootleg patches on your denim jacket and downloading mp3s is hardly that positive. Like most human beings, most metal fans are desperate for meaning in their worthless lives and cower together in herds looking for recognition. They can’t cope with the idea of the absurdity of existence, nor the idea of having friends who aren’t into metal, because they really have so little to discuss. It’s more pathetic than mainstream culture in a way, because these people consider themselves better than that, when in fact they are brainless scumbags.

Who is the most "normal" person you know who is into Metal and what does he/she do for a living?
Plenty of my friends live normal lives and work normal jobs while supporting bands they like, and I respect their choice too much to reveal anything about them. That kind of mentality is something to be admired in a microcosmic world where there are too many chiefs and very few people prepared to be Indians.

What annoys you very greatly?
I think you could see question 15 for an appropriate answer to this, but beyond that I would say incompetence, thoughtlessness, traffic, and bands who agree to answer multiple zine interviews and then give monosyllabic responses under the guise of being ‘mysterious.’ Why bother? It’s incredibly contrived and boring.

Lease of life, new. Interviews to follow

2011-06-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I note with horror that after my first flush of enthusiasm for the art of blogging (or "bloging" as I read somewhere else) came to an abrupt halt, then started again, then lay dormant until... well... now. So I'm going to start uploading Second Book of Sentences 'zine articles starting with one I did "recently" with an English Death Metal band called Cruciamentum. That shall be appearing right here, on this very blog. Prepare yourselves, for the hour is nigh!

Post-Cruciamentum upload I'll be getting the Council of Tanith interview ready for publishing here also. Should be ready in a couple of days so keep checking back!

Slubberdegullion

2010-08-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

CAULDRON BLACK RAM
Slubberdegullion

I meant to write a review of this great album when it first came out but then it took me a little while to actually buy it. So it came out in March 2010 but I didn't get around to actually purchasing this little beauty until the end of August or thereabouts. This in itself is a little weird as this was actually one of my most anticipated releases of that year. I never really download music because I reckon that a "preview" like this is going to somewhat spoil the real product when it actually comes to be in your hands..... So when I eventually managed to order and acquire the CD almost six months ago it didn't leave my CD player for a couple of weeks and even then there were new things to discover with each listen. The first thing that springs to mind when one hears Cauldron Black Ram is that the Australian scene is one of the most original ones in the world of Metal. There are many bands there, they all sound different, and very few of them sound like any other bands on the planet. Think of Sadistik Exekution, Martire, Destroyer666, StarGazer or Portal just by way of some examples and anyone with ears to hear will have to admit that Australia boasts one of the most diverse and original Metal scenes on Earth. Cauldron Black Ram fit right in there. One band that springs to mind as a handy comparison is Grand Belial's Key: some of the riffs could have sprung from Gelal's musical mind. This is no bad thing - his political views notwithstanding, Gelal is a musical heavyweight and his compositions demand respect. However, Cauldron Black Ram can only be compared rather fleetingly to GBK and have a style very much their own.

Slubberdegullion continues where Skulduggery (2004) left off and we are treated to a handful of mid-paced songs featuring some very chunky guitars and an all-round excellent production with every instrument nice and audible. There are numerous acoustic interludes with plenty of little sound effects like knives being sharpened, whispers, falling plates and chains and other weird and wonderful sounds to draw the listener into a nightmarish world of imps, goblins, whores, villains, seadogs and devils. Each song is like a little story, some appear like spells or invocations of unclean spirits, others like tales from an insane pirate's journal uttered by possessed, hateful and completely unhinged mental patients while the guitars weave riffs that alternate between palm-muted chugging and the hum and buzz of thousands of angry hornets while always staying catchy and somehow melodic.

The CD and LP versions of the album are available from THE CAVE
run by one of the members of the band but some searching will bring up some other distros in America and Europe that carry it.

New website

2010-08-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

I have created a website so that people can have a look at scans of old issues of The Second Book of Sentences. Currently I have the first issue up which I published sometime in 2003 or 2004 I think.

It can be viewed Right Here

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

2010-06-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

PARHELIA

Shifting Sands CD 2009

Parhelia hail from Dublin, Ireland and their debut release saw the light of day in 2006. When they first contacted me they sent me their second release, *Oceans Apart* (EP 2007 - now unfortunately sold out) to review in the Second Book of Sentences and I was enthusiastic about their music then as I am now. In 2009 they released the *Shifting Sands* album which is under scrutiny here and which shows that Parhelia have honed their style and are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the genre they have chosen to work in.
As I type I am listening to this on earphones, probably the best way to enjoy this group's music, and the thing that of course will first strike the listener is that Parhelia are a totally instrumental band and that the songs are all quite long (the six tracks on the CD clock in at over 35 minutes) but yet don't seem to be too long. I really really have to applaud this as I can appreciate the very hard work that they have to do to make the songs interesting and hold the listener's attention without vocals and lyrics. In this they suceed admirably. I must say that I am very enthusiastic about their brand of "refined Instrumental Post-Rock", a genre that boasts such acts as Godspeed You Black Emperors and Do Make Say Think. On the whole I am not a great fan of this style of Rock and don't hold the aforementioned groups in any kind of high regard. But Parhelia are something quite special. The songs are all quite slow and build up gently from clean plucked intros to distrorted and very hypnotic passages that envelop the listener and make for a very relaxing listen. Ocean imagery is the theme that binds everything together and this is hardly surprising if you consider where the band are from. My favourite here is the title track which features a very emotive and evocative main phrase that builds, ebbs and builds again. I think this one evokes images of changing landscapes and possible also lives and relationships, people's minds and faces... Having said that, all the songs here are very good indeed and I actually find myself returning to this CD quite regularly.
The musicianship is without fault and the members of Parhelia are clearly competent players who rehearse regularly and have created a tight unit. The production, courtesy of Neal Calderwood of Manor Park Studio in County Antrim is also very good and suits the music very well, each instrument being audible and all the nuances present and correct.

The layout is attractive. The cover of this digi-pack is rather interesting as there is no band-name or any other text to be found on it, meaning that the brooding and very beautiful cover art (a photo taken in the Alvord Desert, Oregon) is completely unspoilt. One very odd thing that must be noted however - there are no song-titles to be found on the inside cover. This is very starnge and means that the display on the CD player has to be consulted. I presume this was done on purpose but I don't think I like it very much as the song titles (such as *Our ship has sailed* or *Time and tide*) add to the atmosphere of the tunes!

You should support Parhelia and the album can be obtained directly from the band for the knock-down price of €6.00 for the CD which features six tracks and the same price for the limited edition 5-track cassette version. This price generously includes world-wide postage so I fail to see what's stopping anyone from getting this! Go HERE

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

2010-05-15T01:42:00.000-07:00

Temple of Opposites

Temple of Opposites demo 2009

The cover of this three-track EP promises much: the all-familiar Goat of Mendes looks in through a church window, a church whose floor is not unlike one might find in Ken Russel's "The Devils". A full moon rises behind The Goat's head. I wonder what the members of the congregation will think when they come in in the morning (The Goat is looking in the window on a Saturday night). All joking aside, when I put on the CD I cannot but be impressed by the music which blasts off with an icy riff and features those very twisted and sick vocals that remind me somewhat of Barditus (Lugubrum) crossed with Dagon (Inquisition).

The style of the riffs and melodies could be described most accurately as Darkthrone-esque in sound and tempo with something of the type of melodic structure one could find on early Deathspell Omega releases. The overall atmosphere is not dissimilar to that which emanates from the speakers when a Countess album is put on. It's all very necro indeed but somehow effective and compelling in its hypnotic style. I really enjoy the ritualistic style of Black Metal that this bunch from Galway play and quite particularly the the variety in vocals that go from tortured screams to the voice that evokes the image of a rotten zombie preacher of death and decay. (I'm a little bit disappointed that there are no lyrics included unfortunately.)

The second track is in a very Darkthrone-y vein again, this time very reminiscent of that band's Transilvanian Hunger era. The middle section features a nice swinging Black 'N' Roll. Third track, again I am reminded of Darkthrone! The vocals are very evocative, hypnotic and cold.

Overall this is a very good release from Temple of Opposites. One element of note is the strange of the drums: could it be possible that this is a drum machine? In any case this does not take away from the atmosphere which is dark and cold and is delivered with conviction. Some timing issues exist but I mean if it's good enough for Quorthon why not these guys? The hypnotic and eerie feeling is still there and I look forward to hearing more in future.

This demo is limited to 50 copies so rush over to their MySpace and order one quick!

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

2010-04-30T04:47:00.000-07:00

Council of Tanith demo CD 2009

It is impossible not to mention Black Sabbath when talking about Doom Metal, nor the likes of Candlemass or Saint Vitus and Pentagram. That now-infamous thanks list that graced the inner sleeve of the first Cathedral album has done its job well in the intervening years, bringing to wider attention such greats as Trouble and Witchfinder General and spawning newer generations of Doom bands, most noteworthy in this context Reverend Bizarre, who I am reminded of quite strongly, not in the music department but in the vocals of Anthony "Crow" McGee. He has a distinctive style but the atmosphere he portrays with his vocal delivery brings this Finnish band to mind most often, to me anyway.

Council of Tanith are a five-piece from Dublin and the band was formed in 2007 with the aim of laying waste the world with funereal sounds (at least I hope that that was the intention!) and I have seen them play live once in 2009 where they impressed not a little with their great set. It was my first exposure to Council of Tanith and the experience has stayed with me to this day. They released a two-track promo in 2008 and this untitled demo in 2009.
The three songs on this demo range from very good to really great so to hear more from this band would be very welcome indeed. Fat, chunky guitars and a very live drum sound do wonders for the heavy chugging riffs that compel the listener's head to jerk forwards and backwards repeatedly. In other words: the sound and the riffs lend themselves to compulsive headbanging! And with that, the mission of any group calling itself Metal (or whatever sub-genre thereof) is done. If you like a live-sounding and in-your-face band with heavy and at times emotional songs combined with vocals that remind a little bit of Albert Witchfinder with musical nods to Black Sabbath, Trouble, Pentagram and Cathedral, then this could very well be the thing you have been looking for. Oh, and the last two bars of the last song sound uncannily like early Autopsy.

The CD is no longer available so it can be downloaded for which you can go here.

Council of Tanith MySpace

counciloftanith@gmail.com

Count your blessings!

2010-04-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

I awoke with a slight feeling of melancholy and tried to work out what exactly was wrong. It is quite possible that I had seriously overdosed on the new Laura Marling album the day before, having listened to it six or seven times in a row and becoming totally enmeshed in the web of bittersweet emotions that she weaves with her magical music. It might have been a premonition that I would encounter some bad news when I checked the headlines. Well those could very well have been some reasons for the sad mood that pervaded my being. In any case, I was drawn to my stack of Metal records this morning and was going to put on this beauty here:

But on my search for the "L" section of my collection, I noticed that one LP in the "M"s was peeping out and it was one I had purchased a year or two ago, played a couple of times and filed away with no real impressions of either greatness or unimportance; in short, mediocrity possibly peppered with the occasional highlight is what I associated Malteze with when I stuck away the record. But as so often happens when I flip through the music library looking for one thing, my movements were arrested by the sight of something completely different; this time it was a black sleeve poking out from among the Manowars and Morbid Angles and I decided to give *Count your blessings* another spin. Was I glad I did! From the great production to the really exemplary musicianship showcased by the twin-guitar attack of Masami Fujimaki and Steve Cenker ably underpinned by the rock-solid rhythm section made up of Kriss Marxx on bass and Mike Voss on drums, the at times aggressive, at times tender voice of Barbara Malteze soars over everything. Every track is a potential hit with plenty of hooks, full-on drumming that propels the musical narrative, and memorable choruses. The lyrics are well thoght out and presented intelligently in the overall picture. It is very professional and the only reason I can think of why this band didn't get bigger than they did (the split up after recording an e.p. and this full-length which dates to 1990) is the old chestnut about lacking the necessary label to do the job well.

Personal highlights are *Hell walks laughing*, *Borrowed time*, and the ballad *Rain*. Today something special happened that doesn't occur too often: my mood was completely changed by some songs on a record that I expected to not listen to anytime soon. But this hook-laden riff-fest with those catchy choruses and the great voice of Barbara Malteze has become a firm favourite here at camp Piotr.

The Second Book of Sentences

2010-03-30T04:06:00.000-07:00

The Second Book of Sentences is a project that I began about six or maybe seven years ago. At that time I decided that there were not enough dedicated people who were creating old-fashioned fanzines so I decided to create one myself. It's hard work, don't let anyone tell you otherwise but I had a bit of time then and could dedicate some energy to doing this. The internet has made life easier for writers of 'zines; there is now much less time involved than in the eighties and nineties when one had to send and recieve interviews via snailmail, type them up and paste them onto the pages along with all the artwork, flyers, reviews etc. This was time-consuming work, so time-consuming in fact, that I never made a 'zine back in the day, being too busy in a band (or just bone idle, depending on your point of view). In any case, e-mails have made the process of sending and receiving interviews much easier and have the added benefit that one can respond with more questions to the answers received, giving it the feel of a conversational interview rather than just a list of answered questions. I completed three issues of The Second Book of Sentences; unfortunately I hadn't thought of this aforementioned mode of interviewing people for those three issues. The one that is currently under construction (issue 4) has made use of the powers of modern technology. I am currently still waiting for a few interviews to be returned to me.

Now when I announced that the fourth issue was being compiled I was a little hasty, expecting everything to run quickly, smoothly, and according to plan but life just ain't like that so I began to receive music from bands wishing to be reviewed but there was finished 'zine in sight! Therefore I decided to post up the reviews here in the REVIEWS section before the products become too old to be current!

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

2010-03-22T02:59:00.000-07:00

Caro Maledicta +Benediction+ EP
Format: CD
Year: 2009
Country: Ireland

After two demos released in 2006 and 2007 which quite impressed me at the time with their incredibly filthy production and damp cave atmosphere, I was pleased to receive this five-track EP from 2009 in the post some time ago. Caro Maledicta (‘cursed flesh’) continue on the path forged by these demos: a path of incredibly primitive Black Metal, on this release reminding me strongly of the early Lugubrum albums especially in the quality of K’s vocals. The songs are primeval, for the most part quite slow and liberally peppered with film samples and classical vocal pieces which build up a very theatrical, dark and suffocating atmosphere that is very reminiscent of the medieval feel of Hammer horror movies but with a slightly more evil twist. Strong musical influences seem to be the likes of Deathspell Omega, Watain, the type of Black Metal put out by members of the The Black Legions, and possibly early Samael. I am especially reminded of Deathspell Omega in the sections that feature Gregorian chant while the overall aesthetic shown in the cover art, layout and lyrics is strongly reminiscent of the kind of thing one might expect of Watain.

Our journey begins with some beautiful classical music, some spoken religious intonations; it sounds like the scene of a hanging from a film I’m unfortunately not familiar with. The chaos of *Attainable paradise* begins. It starts very fast and then becomes slow with simple and primitive riffs and horrid vocals, not just “normal” Black Metal vocals but tortured screams and yells, before becoming fast again. *Scrutiny and punishment* sounds like the weakest track to these ears but it is still interesting with its evil little samples from horror movies and those tormented screams. The song that really gets me banging my head is *An inheritance of chapped lips and barren wombs*. A great title that promises much and the song itself is a very militant and driving Black Metal with very simple but effective riffing. It becomes quite fast, then meditative and dreamlike, followed by some filthy and hypnotic passages where the utterly tormented and possessed vocals take on the role of a demonic preacher who promises much by way of damnation and death. The final track is in the vein of Burzum but very slow and again very meditative. Overall this is a good release which shows promise. The musicianship has improved somewhat since the demo days of Caro Maledicta but not at the cost of the utterly horrid and very medieval atmosphere that I find so attractive about this band’s music. There doesn’t seem to be any indication of limitation on this EP. Contact the band at caromaledicta@gmail.com

Schizophrenia

2010-03-10T05:55:00.000-08:00

Some many many years ago a buddy of mine and I decided to ring a mutual friend of whom we knew that he worked very late hours at a local bar and would be fast asleep on a Saturday morning. We were all school-going age (I think us two miscreants might have still been in primary school while the other fellow was in secondary school already and played in a local Metal band who did covers of everything from Hendrix to Metallica). In any case we were obviously at a loss for something constructive to do and as pre-teens who can't think of anything constructive will inevitably turn to badness and destruction so did we and decided to ring this poor unfortunate drummer who was asleep after a late shift.

Anyway, we needed something to greet him with when he picked up the phone and I had the bright spark idea that we would play him the intro to Sepultura's *Schizophrenia* at great volume when his groggy ear hit the receiver. Now for those who don't know it, the intro to this album is the famous "shower-scene" music composed by Bernard Herrmann for the Hitchcock movie *Psycho*. But Sepultura added a nice touch to the end of this creepy bit of music and we hear the lead vocalist Max Cavalera letting out a mighty roar "UUUAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!" (or something similar).

We picked up the phone and dialled, tape recorder at the ready, eager fingers poised over the Play button. After many rings, groggy drummer answers: "Hello?" Hit Play! Shower-scene music! "Dwing dwing dwing dwing dwong dwong dwong dwong dwang dwang dwang dwang" it goes and then Max Cavalera: "UUUAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Sleepy drummer, obviously completely confused and taken aback says: "What the FUCK was THAT?????"

Dublin

2010-02-13T02:34:00.000-08:00

I walked morosely and somewhat self-consciously through the streets of Ireland's capital city and pondered the singular problem that continuously assailed me on my travels. It was one that had struck me before when I had visited the place - the difficulties I encountered when presented with the task of finding a particular address in Dublin. Piece of paper? Check. Name, house number, street address? Check, check, check. Refusal to use a map? Check. This latter stipulation is essential for the full impact of the frustration I was thinking about. It seems that to find a particular address in Dublin is nigh-on impossible if one doesn't have a detailed map of the city. Find a needle in a haystack? No problem. Find a house in Dublin? "And don't try asking anyone" I thought. Asking a human being in Dublin for even the simplest directions is to invite massive time-loss and a huge footwear bill.

It takes some time, first of all, to find a person who is willing to give them. One is repeatedly struck by the arresting notion that Dublin is entirely populated by half-blind foreigners from distant shores who seem to wander aimlessly through streets the names of which they don't know and presumably rest their heads in whatever apartments or houses they just happen to end up being near at nightfall. I am certain that Dublin mothers frequently have to tell their children that daddy will not be returning home that evening because he has gone for a short stroll that morning but not to worry, a new daddy will probably be along at some stage during the early evening and to leave the table laid for dinner.

Just go to Dublin yourself and try to get directions to an address or even a street (pick a very very prominent and long shopping street for extra amusement). People will try to pretend to not actually BE from Dublin, seemingly forgetting that a life-long Dublin accent is a very difficult thing to conceal even from the most untrained ear.
"OIM NO' FRAUM DOOBLIN" is a frequent response to requests for direction. Occasionally this can be suffixed with
"OI HAAVEN'T A CLEOO"* (*"I am quite unsure of that, sir") before the would-be Samaritan scurries off down some dark alley. However, it is the people who attempt to give guidance who turn out to be the most frustrating.

It seems that the good people of Dublin are intent on the visitor to see as much of their (fair) city as possible. In a more innocent phase of my life, I had asked for directions to a particular street. Not only could I not get accurate guidance from the locals but they sent me here, there and everywhere with friendly smiles and assurances that their directions were the correct ones and I would soon find myself at my destination and to look them up the next time I found myself in the area and we could go for a pint and a lengthy chat. It was the last part that particularly intrigues me: the friendliness with which they sent me packing in what often turned out to be the opposite direction to my attended goal. There was the case of the elderly lady who had, with supreme confidence and self-assurance sent me in the exact opposite direction to where I needed to be. It was only by asking a postman that I was saved from ending up somewhere in Northern Ireland. Go to Dublin but bring plenty of time, stout shoes and an adventurous spirit. If you want to discover the city, set out (sans map of course) for a particular goal (a famous monument or landmark, say), ask a passing stranger for directions to said monument and prepare yourself for an epic voyage to nowhere.

Job hunting

2010-02-03T05:07:00.000-08:00

As I arrange myself comfortably to lie on the crest of a hill, the butt of my trusty .300 Winchester Magnum cradled against my right cheek, my eye looks through the sniper scope and I adjust it for a distance of five hundred meters. I wait, patiently, expectantly; this takes time. Many hours pass and the sun makes its peregrination across the sky while sending welcome (if weak) warmth. Occasionally a cloud positions itself between the sun and me and a shiver goes through my slender frame. It is February in Ireland. But suddenly I see one! A job! There it goes, scuttling for its nest, its ears flapping like a rabbit's and its long, pendulous snout looking vaguely comical as it sniffs frantically for its burrow. After all, they are completely blind and hairless and depend on their superior sense of smell to guide them. It seems paradoxical then that they should have to do most of their journeying over land and during the day. This is because their burrows have many entrances in the ditches of fields but are connected underground via networks of tunnels. They run on all fours, on legs that seem almost too spindly to support the weight of their round bodies. Grotesque looking things!

I take aim, the fleshy body huge in my scope. I know that I have to hit the cranium first and then the spine, two bullets that must not miss their destinations. I exhale and fire. The top of the job's head splits and I see a mist of blood and grey gore as I swiftly move the rifle to take aim at the back of the squealing, falling but still struggling job. They have two brains, one in the head, the other in the spinal area, with which they retain all abilities and motor functions, sort of like a second hard-drive with all the necessary information to keep the thing running. I fire. I see the little puff of dust where my bullet hits the ditch. Curses! Half its body is already in the entrance of the burrow! I fire again and miss a second time when I hear a distant shriek and it falls to the ground, lifeless. Someone else, some other sniper has hit it! I leap up and sprint on weak legs to where the creature is lying in front of the entrance of the burrow. I am nearly there when to my left a small, lithe man appears. He dashes to where the lifeless form lies, grabs it by the tail and triumphantly holds it aloft. "Bastard!" I scream, beside myself with rage and frustration. "Better luck next time." he replies with a grin and disappears into the underbrush.

Hell-noodles

2010-02-02T06:02:00.000-08:00

Take one pack of "Instant noodles, chicken flavour", the ones with the slighly sinister-looking oriental gentleman depicted on the package, similar to the Chinese villains one would encounter in a Tintin book, add to this a finely chopped leek, some "extra extra hot Piri Piri" sauce (obviously for the European palate; the label promises much but this stuff is mild at best), cover with thin strips of cheap Brie and consume while watching Hellraiser. It will surely enhance the gastronomic experience when the just newly reconstituted Frank talks to Julia and you (like I) will possibly have to pause eating the gloopy mess on your plate or turn off the film. Please try this at least once and let me know how you got on.

2010-01-27T16:18:00.000-08:00

The combination of briefly losing my wedding ring and Judas Priest's *Love bites* made me laugh out loud as many scenarios entered my head and caused a cerebral overload. Fuck technology. Where would we be without it? In the same place we are now, so no need for it really.

2010-01-27T16:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight I find myself again listening to music and wondering what the purpose of it all is. The conclusion is hard to bear: each person makes their own purpose.

2010-01-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

The thing that hits me about Metal and the aspect that has me going back for more and more and more is the fact that a good Metal track will capture two intense human experiences almost immediately and follow that with other feelings and emotions that we as human beings experience on a day-to-day level. But what is most intense in my listening experience of Metal is the ability of this music to capture and convey pure unadulturated exuberance, a testosterone-fuelled madness (possibly this is why many many bands become lacklustre as they age. Pagan Altar appear to be an exception) marked by the gallopping riffs of Heavy Metal and the pure speed attacks of Thrash, Death and Black Metal. This encompasses for me absolute hope, immortality and spitting in the face of fate, the hallmarks are "fuck authority", "fuck religion", "fuck the government" etc. In its absolute simplicity this attitude is beautiful; full of youthful exuberance and belief in the self. However and very importantly a good Metal track (or if the band thinks slightly more conceptually, a good Metal album) will have the exuberance tempered by a deep sadness, a dark melancholy. This is what Metal is for me: the perfect combination of youthful high-jinks and knowledge of one's own demise. This is how DarkThrone manage to spit in the face of god on their early output but at the same time keep the listener aware that even the overthrowing of a tyrant does not bring eternal joy, on the contrary, it is an occasion to be surveyed with a misty eye. Do not *Nattasja in eternal sleep*, does not *Freewheel burning*, *Wrathchild*, *Orion* and countless other tracks by such well-known and many less well-known acts teach us this lesson: Good Metal in all its facets is a portal to the inner self, bad Metal is just an insult. The perfect Metal track should have you headbanging and crying at the same time.

Metal Archives

2010-01-15T18:12:00.000-08:00

As I shall be referring to numerous Heavy Metal bands a good website to research them is to be found here. This is variously called Metal Archives or The Encyclopedia Metallum and contains pictures, interesting information, links and some good and many not-so-good reviews.

Skull competiton

2010-01-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

Anybody who tells me correctly where the skull in the picture above was found gets a free CD of my choice.

Multi-tasking: recipe for disaster

2010-01-14T02:31:00.000-08:00

As has been pointed out to me, if I attempt to do two tasks at the same time they either don't get done at all or one or other of them will end in injury or chaos, in short: I can't multi-task. Cardinal rule: one thing at a time. However, this morning that rule is being broken and I feel sufficiently moved to interrupt my DIY activities to create this post in honour of a Russian band that I wish I had discovered when I was ten and now that I have their music available to me I want this music seared into my brain so I can listen to them when my hearing eventually goes. The Ukranian-born serial killer Andrei Chikatilo frequently gouged out the eyes of his victims and he is portrayed in the film *Citizen X* as admitting under interrogation that he did this due to the Russian folk-belief that the last thing a murder-victim sees (in most cases his or her killer) will be seared into the back of the eyes and can there be seen by police. Well if someone ever finds my ears and listens to them then I want them to be able to hear the amazing music of a Russian band called Aria. This morning I was struck how the combination of a strong singer, extremely competent and talented musicians, rivetting riffs, melodic leads and powerful interludes is something that many bands seem to think they can get away with not having. Now I'm all for dirt and grit in my music: a nice warts 'n' all approach can be very refreshing. But the discipline that Aria bring to songwriting cannot for one second be faulted. The album that has me all flushed and misty-eyed is their 1989 offering *Play with fire*. Every song on this is a stone-cold classic, the sound is great with nice crunchy guitars, prominent bass, great drum production and the harsh-sounding Russian lyrics.

Forgetfulness

2010-01-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

I'm going to have to figure out how this applicaion works as I had some snazzy photos but was then contacted and told that my font was unreadable. Some editing and a half-dozen error messages later and I seem to have a schizophrenic-looking layout for my posts and my photos won't upload. Grrrrrr. Here's one anyway. That goes with the *Procrastination* post

Procrastination

2010-01-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

It's probably never a good idea to procrastinate on a Monday - the week becomes shorter and chances are the procrastinations won't be confined to just Monday. Before you know it it's Thursday and you've got to get yourself spruced up for the weekend. In any case, procrastinating on a Monday is just what I'm doing now. I have a little pile of demo and promo CDs lying beside me that ought to be listened to and reviewed. Now the listening part has been done and for the most part the material is good (very good in fact but it's the sitting down and writing the reviews that is causing the difficulty).

Some bands are comprised of people I have in the past been and in some cases am now in contact with in some form or another. They are not all friends per se but acquaintances (anyway, it seems to me that the word "friend" has become a little devalued recently. A "friend" is not just a person whom you bear no ill-will or one whom you wouldn't want to see injured but I would classify a "friend" as someone whom you would seek out if you were in serious trouble and who would respond without judgement and with an open heart. Bukowski wrote something along the lines of "the best way to find out who your friends are is to spend time in jail."). Be that as it may, it is very hard to be completely objective about artistic work created by a person with whom you have exchanged friendly words and therein lies the challenge. Possibly the best way to be a good reviewer is to (a) expect no earnings or other rewards from the product or group under review and (b) have no contact whtsoever (and if contact cannot be avoided, make sure it is of the negative kind) with the individual(s) creating the art. Of course this world is not perfect and we can't go around alienating people just so that there is no bias in our reviews. The task is a difficult one and instead of reviewing the material lying beside my elbow I put on *To Mega Therion*, the debut full-length album by the Swiss Celtic Frost, released in 1985 and became completely enthralled by the genius that is track 8 - *Fainted Eyes*. Couple that with the fact that I could look out the window at one of the heavier hail showers I have witnessed and the experience could be summarized as damn near perfect.

However, the matter of the reviews has not been adequately addressed, has it? For the past few years I have been engaged in writing, editing and publishing a little paper fanzine called *The Second Book of Sentences* with the help of an acquaintance called Naoise O'Sullivan, whom I have never met in person but who seems like an affable kind of chap whose work ethic cannot be faulted. The focus is of course on underground Metal bands from all genres of Metal and from around this globe we are not entirely content to call home. I do however like to focus a little more attention on Metal bands that hail from the Emerald Isle while also focusing on other facets of underground Metal which means that I interview label-bosses and 'zine editors too. The whole thing is therefore entirely self-regulated and each of the three issues I have assembled have taken about a year to complete, due in no small part to my regularly procrastinating! Album and demo reviews are a major part of the enterprise. They are frequently difficult to do, for the reasons outlined above. The current issue under construction is the fourth so with any luck it should be ready before the end of the month. Self-imposed deadlines are notoriously movable however.

"Right then." cracks knuckles

2010-01-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

So anyway, it seems that the key to this whole thing is consistency. Seeing that I have now joined the rather amusingly titled "blogosphere" it seems prudent to see what exactly I'm getting myself in for. According to the ever more trusted Wikipedia, there appear to be more that 112,000,000 of these here blog things (many of which are inactive) so it is probably quite easy for a lonely minnow like myself to get swamped, trampled and forgotten in the mass. At least I don't have to worry about alienating a totalitarian government and losing sleep about their secret service getting upset about my musings, approaching my house under cover of darkness and killing me for disagreeing with their policies. However, it does appear that quite a lot of trouble needs to be circumnavigated in the sphere of blogs. For example, I could, in a fit of rage slag off a co-workers or make an inappropriate remark about some woman with a clipboard. So I will keep close to my heart and at all times follow the rule that has been laid down by DailyBlogTips and "never [write] anything that I wouldn't say in person". If therefore you find me using expletives in relation to this individual or that, rest assured that they are either (a) safely dead or (b) I would actually use the same phraseology if I were to speak to him or her.

Seeing as it's late it appears that a little could be written about what I intend to do here and then I can toddle off to the land of Nod. I intend for this to be a reflective but also quasi-journalistic journey through domains that interest me. That's really not much to go on but I'm sure that time and maybe even my writings will reveal more.

Can I change this for another one?

CRUCIAMENTUM interview

Lease of life, new. Interviews to follow

Slubberdegullion

New website

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

Count your blessings!

The Second Book of Sentences

Second Book of Sentences REVIEWS

Schizophrenia

Dublin

Job hunting

Hell-noodles

Metal Archives

Skull competiton

Multi-tasking: recipe for disaster

Forgetfulness

Procrastination

"Right then." *cracks knuckles*

"Right then." cracks knuckles