John Dwyer is one of the busiest guys in rock. He has so many variations of his band Thee Oh Sees that it can be difficult to keep track of them all. One of the latest, which he’s just calling Oh Sees, has put out a fine record of psychedelic art-punk called Orc.
The album opens with the crazy, frantic “The Static God” – which appears to be a song about the whirlwind nature of battlefield combat. Dwyer’s guitar is all over the place, but the chorus’ vocal hook has a wonderful pop twinge to it. “Nite Expo” has 1980’s video game synths leading it before Dwyer’s guitar kicks open the door and catches you by surprise. “Animated Violence” hits as hard as any metal track you’ve heard all year, both in the instrumentation (i.e., buzzsaw guitars and thunderous drums) and vocals and lyrics (revealing Dwyer’s love of Motorhead).
The longest track on the record (at 8:10), “Keys to the Castle,” is (on its surface, at least) about a bloody siege in a medieval fantasy kingdom. I’m sure it’s probably a metaphor about how we’re actually destroying ourselves in these castles of loneliness and disconnection we’ve built thanks to the internet, but maybe I’m overreaching and should just enough the fun freak-out of a tune that it is (especially when the violin and organ creep into it).
“Jettison,” with its early Mick Ronson-like guitar work, is one of the grooviest songs about death in a long while (“Who likes sugar in their coffin? The underground is twice as nice.”). “Cadaver Dog” encourages the generation behind Dwyer to be leaders and not followers and be self-reliant instead of clinging to potentially deadly illusions. “Drowned Beast” is a fuzzy salute to deepwater beast warriors who slay and eat everything in sight. Three fun instrumentals, “Paranoise,” “Cooling Tower,” and “Raw Optics” are included. The first has some subtle synths that might make you paranoid, the second is something you’d hear drifting out of a Mothers of Invention studio session, and the third (which closes the album) is a snappy blast of post-punk with a drum solo to boot.
Orc is a quirky, wild record, but you’d expect no less from Mr. Dwyer. He excels at making quirky, wild rock that can melt your face one moment and intrigue you the next.
Freedom’s Goblin is the new Ty Segall album: 19 tracks strong, filling four sides of vinyl nonstop, with an unrestricted sense of coming together to make an album. Out January 26th via Drag City with a North American tour to follow, it wants you to get your head straight – but first, the process will make your head spin! On any given side, we’re tracking five or six full-blown personalities, unconcerned with convention or continuity.
The songs came in the flow of the year: days of vomit and days of ecstasy and escape too, and days between. The rulebook’s been tossed, but Freedom’s Goblin is thick with deep songwriting resources, be it stomper, weeper, ballad, screamer, banger or funker-upper, all diverted into new Tydentities in the name of love and loathing. Whether chilling at home or on tour with the Freedom Band, tracks were cut at five studios in LA, Chicago and Memphis, engineered by Steve Albini, F. Bermudez, Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell and of course, Ty himself. The goal was getting free: embracing any approach necessary to communicate new heights and depths, seeking new places for the fuzz to land among octaving harmonies, dancefloor grooves, synths, saxes and horns, jams, post-Nicky-Hopkins r’n’b electric piano vibes, children-of-the-corn psycho-rebellions, old country waltzes and down-by-the-river shuffles. Basically, the free-est bunch of pop songs Ty’s ever put on tape – free to love or to be alone; to be pretty or pretty ugly; free to turn the other cheek or to turn up the volume. And of course, free to make just about any kind of song that’ll free people when they hear it – because we’re ALL Goblins and we ALL want our Freedom!
This feeling comes alive in “Every 1’s a Winner,” the sixth Freedom’s Goblin pre-release share (a record for Drag City!), including last night’s sneak peek, big band debut of “Fanny Dog” on CONAN. “Every 1’s a winner, baby that’s the truth” – truly, a much-needed message for our times! As in, the kind of message we don’t expect anyone anywhere saying anytime soon. Ty Segall is naturally delivering this message specially to a special someone of his own, the kind to whom makin’ love is such a thrill – but you too are free to be special to someone also, so long as you realize that with such freedom comes great responsibility. Ty covers Hot Chocolate here as if he’d been funkin’ since he electric slid out the cradle, guiding “Every 1’s a Winner” into a high-flying, hard-driving expression made of his own kind of ecstatic soul. The sound of 2018 (and 2017!) will be much improved by its presence, and everything else on the forthcoming Freedom’s Goblin. So turn it up, and get down.
Ty Segall Tour Dates: Sat. Dec. 9 – Mexico City, MX @ Hipnosis Festival Fri. Dec. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom [solo acoustic set] * Sat. Dec. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom [solo acoustic set] * Sun. Dec. 17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel [solo acoustic set] # Mon. Dec. 18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel [solo acoustic set] # Wed. Jan. 24 – Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern Fri. Jan. 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Sat. Jan. 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Sun. Jan. 28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom Thu. Feb. 1 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium ^ Tue. Apr. 3 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Bunkhouse Saloon Thu. Apr. 5 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre Fri. Apr. 6 – Rapid City, SD @ URSA MAJOR Sat. Apr. 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue Sun. Apr. 8 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Tue. Apr. 10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theater Wed. Apr. 11 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Theater Fri. Apr. 13 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel Sat. Apr. 14 – Port Chester, NY @ The Capitol Theatre Sun. Apr. 15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero Theater Tue. Apr. 17 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre Wed. Apr. 18 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse Fri. Apr. 20 – Birmingham, AL @ Saturn Sat. Apr. 21 – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall Sun. Apr. 22 – New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s Thu. Apr. 26 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Outdoor (Levitation 2018) Fri. Apr. 27 – Austin, TX @ Barracuda (part of Levitation) Sun. April 29 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre
* = with OCS, Shannon Lay, all proceeds go to LA Kitchen
# = with OCS, Shannon Lay, all proceeds go to SF Homeless Coalition
^ = with Queens Of The Stone Age
Olden Yolk, the New York-based group led by songwriters, vocalists, and multi-instrumentalists Shane Butler (of Quilt) and Caity Shaffer, are pleased to announce their self-titled debut album coming out February 23rd on Trouble In Mind. Along with today’s announcement, Olden Yolk are sharing lead single “Takes One To Know One” with an accompanying video debuted via Stereogum.
“‘Takes One to Know One’ is a play on the phrase typically meant to assign blame through commonality,” explain Butler and Shaffer. “Its use in the song is closer to an acceptance of our collective situation rather than a belittlement of it. It was written in our hometown of New York City–an iconic place whose icons (monuments, buildings, public art) are continually morphing and breaking down, shifting whatever former meaning had once been assigned to them.”
They continue, “Some moments hit right when you feel like the ‘writing’s on the door.’ The song, written during an especially jarring year of disillusionment, explores the process of finding solace in passing visages–a stranger’s smile on the subway or the beauty of haphazard graffiti on a brick-laden wall. The song cycles around a group chant at the choruses. It’s instrumentation is highly inspired by the percussion style of Jaki Liebezeit (of the German group CAN), a favorite of ours.”
Olden Yolk is a group whose penchant for dystopian folk, abstract poeticism, and motorik rhythms have enveloped them in a sound uniquely of-the-moment yet simultaneously time-tested. The interlaced vocals of Butler and Shaffer are found guiding each composition on their enlivening self-titled debut. The project was initially conceived in 2012 by Butler as an outlet for one-off songs and visual art while touring and releasing albums with the band Quilt (Mexican Summer). Following the release of a split-record with Weyes Blood in 2014, Olden Yolk became a collaborative entity.
Their debut full-length ruminates on questions surrounding love, self-doubt, and locating autonomy amidst burgeoning unrest. Wrought with hazy melancholy and halcyon joy, Butler and Shaffer’s lilting vocals play off one another through a devotional dialogue, taking form in haunting choral melodies and candid rock n’ roll. These songs are ecstatic odes to the life of the city; to the subway platforms, kiosks, and monuments which enliven and encompass our collectivity, elevating into an urban-psychedelia.
On the album, Butler and Shaffer are joined by drummer Dan Drohan (Tei Shi, Uni Ika Ai) and guitarist Jesse DeFrancesco who round out the studio sessions and live-band. Drohan’s deep passion for jazz, hip-hop, and experimental percussion come to fore while Defrancesco’s minimal yet powerful guitar ambiences are heard swelling in the peripheries of each song. The album was recorded at Gary’s Electric in NYC by Jarvis Taveniere (Woods) with co-production, electronics, and mixing by Jon Nellen (Ginla, Terrible Records). Other guests, such as multi-instrumentalist John Andrews (Quilt, Woods, The Yawns) and violinist Jake Falby (Mutual Benefit, Julie Byrne), add to the mercurial nature of the record, creating a landscape tinged with beatific songwriting and transgressive underpinnings.
Olden Yolk will play a full band record release show at Union Pool in NYC on February 24th along with special guests to be announced. John Andrews & The Yawns will open.
Olden Yolk Tracklist:
1. Verdant
2. Cut To The Quick
3. Gamblers On A Dime
4. Vital Sign
5. Aria
6. Common Ground
7. Hen’s Teeth
8. Esprit De Corps
9. After Us
10. Takes One To Know One
Chicago-based psych / shoegaze rockers Diagonalplay an intriguing mix of both genres. Their self-titled album, currently only available on cassette or digital download, starts with a meditative, almost ambient, nearly instrumental song called “Aura.” I listened to this on a frosty northern Indiana morning as the sun rose over harvested corn fields. It was perfect.
“Wide Eyed” teases you with a bit of drone sludge before breaking into a heavy shoegaze riff. “Inside Your Mind” is so steeped in psychedelic tea that you can pretty much see rear projection oils when you hear it. “Where to Go” ups the fuzz and races by you almost before you realize it’s happening (and I love the trippy fade-out).
“Waterloo” is another rocker that puts in enough reverb to almost make it a weird dream that eventually turns into a crazy psychedelic nightmare. “Come Down” reminds me of early Black Angels material with its distorted yet somehow crisp guitars and lyrics lost in layers of reverb. The album ends with “Cave” – a loud, wild, feverish freak-out that swirls around you like a tornado full of broken, dead trees and shattered houses.
It’s a solid release, and Diagonal is definitely a band to watch and hear. They have the chops to be serious players in the psych-rock game.
Keep your mind open.
[Move diagonally to the subscribe box and drop me your e-mail before you go.]
A near-death experience has a way of changing your perspective on things. Everything is different afterwards. Things you thought were important no longer are. Things you took for granted become more precious than gold. Your accomplishments and failures are brought into focus, and you either experience terror, joy, peace, or all three.
Such an experience happened to all three members of Detroit psych-rockers Sisters of Your Sunshine Vapor while flying to Greece during a recent tour. The plane depressurized as it began its landing procedure, unleashing oxygen masks and brief panic before the pilots quickly brought the plane under control. As the story goes, a strange calm settled into the entire plane. Strangers shared a bond they never expected and wouldn’t forget. This experience shaped the sound and substance of SOYSV’s new album Lavender Blood.
The weird, almost out-of-tune acoustic guitar opening the album on “Cinnamon Blood” puts a weird angle on the record right away as guitarist / vocalist Sean Morrow sings about prayers and dreams in a voice that sounds like it’s been influenced by Middle Eastern vocalists.
The whole band breaks open on “Die Die Die.” It hits like a wrecking ball with warped guitars, Eric Oppitz‘s pulsing bass, and Rick Sawoscinski‘s Black Sabbath-like drumming. The song is as creepy and chaotic as you’d hope it would be with a title like that. “Sky Greece” follows it, and it’s a mind-bending track with reversed guitar chords appropriate for a song inspired by a moment when the band thought they might be doomed but soon switched to calm euphoria.
“Rocking Horse Brain” is one of SOYSV’s biggest, in terms of spectacle, songs. It opens with forceful guitars and bass and then switches gears (with sharp skill by Sawoscinski) into down-the-rabbit-hole psychedelia. “See You in the Mourning” might be the closest thing to a Velvet Underground track SOYSV have ever written. Morrow’s guitars sound remind me of a lazy cat stretching out in the sun, and Oppitz and Sawoscinski put down one of their best grooves ever.
You can’t help but wonder if the cacophony and roaring cymbals in “Cat Lovers Skull” are a reflection of what was happening in the passenger compartment of that flight to Greece. “Milky Water Jesus” is the shortest song on the album but it has some of the hardest drumming of the album.
I love how the album ends with maximum fuzz. “Rainbow Scarecrow” lies somewhere between psychedelia, funk (listen to that beat!), and shoegaze. I can’t wait to hear this one live.
Lavender Blood is probably SOYSV’s trippiest record so far and well worth your time and money. These guys keep bending and warping sounds in ways I still can’t figure out, but why bother trying? Just sit back and let this record alter your reality. Sometimes you need a jolt to remind you of what’s real and what’s illusion.
[No guarantees, but a double rainbow might appear if you subscribe.]
TY SEGALL ADDED TO LOS ANGELES BENEFIT SHOWS;
CASTLEMANIA ANNOUNCED IN LONDON & MANCHESTER
ORC OUT NOW, MEMORY OF A CUT OFF HEAD
OUT 11/17 ON CASTLE FACE
Who would think that the creator of such records as Orc, Memory of a Cut Off Head, Mutilator Defeated At Last, Carrion Crawler, and Castlemania would hold Halloween in high regard? Oh Sees share the video for “Nite Expo” a song off their album Orc (released in August on Castle Face). The video features a hideous adventurer fighting his way through a cavernous dungeon, slaying all manner of ghoulish beasts and monsters. Will he reach the castle and save the day? You’ll have to watch to find out. “Animation and role-playing games were a huge part of my youth,” says Dwyer, “so I was really excited to work on this with Alex Theodoropulos and make a fun Halloween video that harkens back to the real simple times. Imagination running wild and no thoughts of a heavy world.” WATCH “NITE EXPO” https://youtu.be/O8hf8HBeFSE
Also, as previous reported, OCS (featuring John Dwyer, Brigid Dawson, Tim Hellman, Paul Quattrone, Tom Dolas and a string section consisting of Heather Lockie, Eric Clarke and Emily Elkin) announced four shows, two in Los Angeles and two in San Francisco. Proceeds from both LA shows will benefit L.A. Kitchen and, in addition to Shannon Lay, Ty Segall was just added, performing solo acoustic. The SF shows will benefit the Coalition on Homelessness, and will also be supported by Ty Segall and Shannon Lay. Furthermore, for our friends across the pond, Castle Face is proud to present…CASTLEMANIA. Here are some words from Castle Face about the event:
May we present, for you Britishers among us – or those amongst them – a one-two shot to the ribs from the Castle Face Records roster: Thursday, March 1st in Manchester and Friday, March 2nd in London, spearheaded by those indefatigable and indispensable Oh Sees, a live force to be feared. They’ll be joined by white mages of healing and appealing frequencies Once and Future Band, underground pop wunderkind cum laude Kelley Stoltz, feedback-tipped missiles of love and boredom Flat Worms, and the fuzzed-up goth pop stylings of Male Gaze.
OCS TOUR DATES Fri. Dec. 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom w/ Ty Segall (Solo Acoustic), Shannon Lay Sat. Dec. 16 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom w/ Ty Segall (Solo Acoustic), Shannon Lay Sun. Dec. 17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel w/ Ty Segall (Solo Acoustic), Shannon Lay Mon. Dec. 18 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel w/ Ty Segall (Solo Acoustic), Shannon Lay
OH SEES TOUR DATES Thu. Mar. 1, 2018 – Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall (Castlemania) Fri. Mar. 2, 2018 – London, UK @ The Troxy (Castlemania)
Listen to OCS’s “The Fool” – http://bit.ly/2xWKTzA
Listen to OCS’s “Memory of a Cut Off Head” – http://bit.ly/2wJQNUt
“This is the rare record that lands on both a conceptual and instinctual level, and the disparate references feel almost deceitful in their cohesion: how could this weird idea, which snakes global influences across one another, coalesce so well?” — The New Yorker, on The Universe Smiles Upon You
“That sense of spaciousness, together with the Thai-inflected tunes, means Khruangbin sound like no one else, even as their songs shimmer with echoes of ‘Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)’ by Marvin or Curtis Mayfield’s score for Super Fly.” — The Guardian
After two years of worldwide success, unassuming Texan trio Khruangbin announce their highly anticipated second album, Con Todo El Mundo, out January 26, 2017 via DeadOceans. Continuing their world music pedigree, the band has expanded their global influences on this record from Thai funk to sounds of Spain and the Middle East, particularly Iran, from the 1960’s, 1970’s and beyond.
Formed of LauraLee on bass, MarkSpeer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin’s sounds have historically been rooted in the deepest waters of world music. Their 2015 debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s Thai cassettes infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. This unusual mix created a powerful, hypnotic signature sound that’s entranced listeners around the world.
Their second album, Con Todo El Mundo, takes its name not from a grand global idea, but from a simple one. It’s in part dedicated to bassist Laura Lee’s Mexican-American grandfather, who was a big influence on her life. She says, “My grandpa would always ask me ‘Como me quieres?’ (how much do you love me?) And he’d only ever accept one response: ‘Con todo el mundo’ (with all the world). He created his own world to live in. Khruangbin is the world we’ve created.”
Since the release of The Universe Smiles Upon You, Khruangbin have spent the past two years playing non-stop worldwide. The band’s live history ranges from a European tour with FatherJohnMisty to supporting Tycho on a US tour, a string of festival dates including Glastonbury, Bonnaroo, ACL, OutsideLands, DesertDazed, SXSW as well as extended headline excursions. In a nod to their travels, Laura and Mark have been presenting a weekly “AirKhruang”DJsetlive each Friday on their Facebook page, where the pair play a selection of music by artists from a particular city. They also hold a monthly NTSradio show called “Cabin Pressure”.
The music video for the album’s first single, “Maria Tambien,” tells the story of Iranian women prior to the revolution of 1979, celebrating their creativity, freedom and ability to express themselves, and showing a side of women in the Middle East that often isn’t seen in the Western world.
The women in the video are all part of a large network of artists, singers, dancers and songwriters who have been either exiled or silenced since the revolution. With their new video, Khruangbin hopes to bring these remarkable women back into the spotlight and honor the artistry of silenced women everywhere.
Con Todo El Mundo Tracklist:
01. Como Me Quieres
02. Lady And Man
03. Maria Tambien
04. August 10
05. Como Te Quiero
06. Shades Of Man
07. Evan Finds The Third Room
08. A Hymn
09. Rules
10. Friday Morning
Nashville’s All Them Witches will be returning to the U.S. and Canada for another tour in support of their excellent album Sleeping Through the War. The tour starts November 3rd in North Carolina and ends November 18th in Milwaukee. Don’t miss them if you get the chance to see them. They are great live and amiable chaps to boot.
NOV 3 • Cat’s Cradle • CARRBORO, NC
NOV 4 • The Southern Cafe and Music Hall • CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA
NOV 5 • Rock & Roll Hotel • WASHINGTON, DC
NOV 7 • The Foundry at The Fillmore • PHILADELPHIA, PA
NOV 8 • Music Hall of Williamsburg • BROOKLYN, NY
NOV 9 • Higher Ground • SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT
NOV 10 • Fairmount Theatre • MONTREAL, CANADA
NOV 11 • Lee’s Palace • TORONTO, CANADA
NOV 12 • The Bug Jar • ROCHESTER, NY
NOV 14 • Ace of Cups • COLUMBUS, OH
NOV 15 • Hi-Fi • INDIANAPOLIS, IN
NOV 16 • The Mill • IOWA CITY, IA
NOV 17 • Turf Club • ST. PAUL, MN
NOV 18 • The Back Room at Colectivo Coffee • MILWAUKEE, WI
I rarely buy an album based on a single track, but Honey’s new album, New Moody Judy, was an exception to the rule. I heard the first single, “Dream Come Now,” and thought, “Damn, I need to hear more of these cats.” and then pre-ordered the record.
It was a wise decision. New Moody Judy’s opener, “Wage Agreement,” blares out of your speakers with a wild mix of Stooges and Mudhoney influences. The guitars are loud, fuzzed, and urgent. “Urgent” might by the best word to describe the entire record, really. Every song wants to grab you by the arm and shake you until you snap out of it (whatever “it” is for you).
The sharp angles and explosive drums of “Dream Come Now” could power a rocket to the moon, or the scrawniest person to knock down someone three times as big as them. The title track throws in dashes of cosmic stoner rock and Nick Cave vocal styling. “Speed, Glue” isn’t, I’m sure, about people who can stick things to other things in a quick manner. The fuzzy bass and warped guitars are at the forefront of this amazing instrumental.
“Hungry” almost spins out of control with heavy bass, avalanche drums, and crazy guitar that sounds like something you’d hear on an out of control UFO. The band’s Mudhoney influence is front and center on “Bagman,” which sounds like something Mudhoney might’ve unleashed on a Seattle bar’s dilapidated stage in 1992. That means it’s a killer rock track, by the way. “Power” brings back the Stooges influence and MC5 touches as well. It never lets up from the first chord, which is the type of rock we need right now. The closer is “Peggy Ray” – a fierce garage-punk assault that you’ll want to play during your next free-run, skate, or even casual stroll around town.
This is one of the best rock records I’ve heard all year. I need to see these cats live. You need to see these cats live, and we all need this record.
In this day and age, I’m fairly certain that few bands could make a good concept album. Fewer still could make one about a cyborg who wants to be fully human while interacting with a wizard attempting to stop a monster from destroying all of creation. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have done just that, however, with Murder of the Universe.
In case you’re unaware, this is KGATLW’s second album of the year, and they plan to release three more before the end of 2017. The first was the excellent Flying Microtonal Banana and the third, a collaboration with Mild High Club called Sketches of Brunswick East is already available for pre-order.
Lyrically and sonically, Murder of the Universe links up well with Flying Microtonal Banana and the outstanding Nonagon Infinity. It’s like they’re a complete trilogy, and some people have suggested the robot in Nonagon Infinity‘s lead track, “Robot Stomp,” is the cyborg caught up in the Murder of the Universe. You can also hear the beginning of Nonagon Infinity‘s “People Vultures” on this new record (on “Some Context”).
The album’s intro, “A New World,” has a haunting poem spoken by a young woman describing the aftermath of a nuclear war and how even more horrible things are to come afterwards. The first is an “Altered Beast (Part 1).” The band comes out like an angry, roaring bear from of its den. Parts 2, 3, and 4 of the song alternate with the three-part “Altered Me.” The war’s survivor realizes he must adapt to the new environment and new beastly overlord to survive (or did the beast alter him for a dark purpose?). Each song flows seamlessly into the next and KGATLW slays each part. Guitars assault you from every direction but can still stop on a dime. The double drumming is insane, and the synths bring a wild, weird 1980’s horror film vibe to the whole thing.
The survivor has become an altered beast by the end of “Altered Beast IV,” feeling nothing but still remembering his humanity and the idea of freedom. He has lost the concepts of “Life / Death,” but still clings to the idea of revenge. He finds a possible ally in “The Lord of Lightning” (in which lead singer Stu Mackenzie yells “Nonagon infinity!” a few times). It’s a wicked song that would leave anyone who’d never heard a KGATLW song before dumbfounded. It tells the story of an epic mystical battle yet the song blasts by you like something shot from a catapult.
“The Balrog” could be the altered beast, but he is certainly the Lord of Lightning’s enemy. The song is a sonic fiery claw in your brain with crazy percussion and even wilder guitars. “The Floating Fire” is all that’s left after the war between the Balrog and the Lord of Lightning. The Balrog becomes “The Acrid Corpse” by the end of it, but only eternal darkness remains after the Lord of Lightning leaves.
The future is left to the few survivors who have become cyborgs in order to live in the new world. It’s all “Digital Black” in this new time. People have willingly given up their humanity (“We’ve turned our bodies into computers…”) in a quest for what they thought was perfection. The bass riff in this is great, as is the hard-hitting beat throughout it.
One such cyborg is “Han-Tyumi the Confused Cyborg,” the survivor of the original meeting with the altered beast. All he wants is to vomit and die. He wants pain, stench, and some sort of end instead of his endless digitized illusion of life and pleasure. His “Vomit Coffin,” a machine of his own design, might help him do it. It’s another weird rocker mixed with digitized vocals and synth grooves as Han-Tyumi gives himself over to full digitization in order to free himself (and perhaps the world) from his living death.
The title track has Han-Tyumi expanding far beyond his physical form until he’s traveling at the speed of light and infiltrating every living cell and atom. The only way for him to find death is to destroy everything, and he does it.
So, yeah, it’s not a happy-go-lucky record. It’s a crazy concept record about a giant monster attack nearly destroying the world and changing the few survivors left into cyborgs who are left with an even bleaker world after a lightning god battles a giant fire monster, which drives one of the few cyborgs with any shred of humanity left to destroy the entire universe in order to free himself from an eternal life of cold, digital monotony.
Why haven’t you bought it by now?
Keep your mind open.
[Subscribing may or may not give you lightning powers. Try it and find out.]
“Welcome to an Altered Future,” has the cyborg, Han-Tyumi, describing how the digital age led to the death of the world thanks to artificial intelligence. “We turned our bodies into computers,” the band’s lead vocalist, Stu, sings on
