Lines In Wax

TWELVE YEARS OF UNWANTED OPINION

Month: February 2020

Age Of Consent (1969)
classic cinema

Age Of Consent (1969)

Age Of Consent is a beautiful film from the arse-end of the 60s which I am so so glad I took a chance on. The plot is a bit wet, following an artist who lost his muse as he returns to the wilderness of a desert island, where he meets a young and nubile Helen Mirren. She becomes his model, and their relationship develops, but the problem is, is that he is a man in his 50s or whatever, and she is underage. Its a tricky one to navigate, but its beautifully done. The overall tone, setting, cinematography and (frankly) the tasteful nudity far outweigh the somewhat daft plot. 

Satyricon – The Age Of Nero (2008)
black metal

Satyricon – The Age Of Nero (2008)

After Now, Diabolical the Age Of Nero feels like Satyricon’s “if it ain’t broke…” moment. Which is fine, in all honesty, as the album is fucking super solid, if not a little predictable. The songs are tight as fuck, from Frost’s drumming to the razor sharp guitars, this is the perfect balance of rock n roll swagger and lethal black metal precision. There’s too many good tracks to list them all, but “Black Crow On A Tombstone” is probably my favourite.

The Covenant – In Times Before The Light (1997)
black metal

The Covenant – In Times Before The Light (1997)

I made the decision to take this rare opportunity to listen to both of these records back to back, and post each one in succession. I started with, of course, Covenant’s OG In Times Before The Light; a hissy, hollow black metal experience. Not as necro as some entries in the genre, but there is an echoic hollowness to proceedings that even a layer of frosted synths cannot cover up. There is a magic and beauty here however, like the way the most dangerous and precarious mountain peaks can look absolutely gorgeous when gazed upon from afar. 

Cathedral – Statik Majik (1994)
doom metal

Cathedral – Statik Majik (1994)

I’m unsure if anyone has ever used Times New Roman on a record sleeve and gotten away with it like Cathedral have here. Honestly, it seems like the guys were stoned as fuck when they signed off on that artwork, and the same goes for the EP itself. This is a gloriously mad little thing, which reeks of early Cathedral vibes, but hints at the psychedelic madness that would come on later records. “Cosmic Funeral” is one of my all time favourite songs, and the closing track, the 22 minuter “Voyage Of The Homeless Sapien” really needs to be heard to be believed.

Cathedral – Forest Of Equilibrium (1991)
doom metal

Cathedral – Forest Of Equilibrium (1991)

Forest Of Equilibrium is often written about as Cathedral’s slow and miserable gestation into the world of doom, but, I find that in more than just scratching the surface of this dusty tome of fantastical worlds and weeping riffs, it is very distinctly Cathedral, from Gaz’s riffs to Lee’s unique vocals. Yeah, this isn’t spaced out on 10,000 strong mushroom tea (lol, a bit OTT there), but this is nowhere near as depressing as people make out.

Burzum – The Ways Of Yore (2014)
dungeon synth

Burzum – The Ways Of Yore (2014)

It seems a lot of people think that this is a bit of a bummer for Burzum to go out on. I’ve only listened to it a couple of times since it was released and whilst it is an easy listen, my first impressions – which have stuck with me until now – were that it was a cheap imitation of the earlier synth work from the same project. Sure, he’d upgraded from horrendous analogue sounding patches to the glossiest VSTs, but so what? There’s so much fucking great dungeon synth out there now. And then I listened again with headphones. I mean, fuck, talk about a U turn! I remember reading somewhere about Burzum music supposedly working like a spell. That is the perfect way to describe this. When its just me and the music, it is enchanting, enrapturing, magical. I’m sucked into this olde world of Yore! RIP Burzum (for now?) 

Burzum – From The Depths Of Darkness (2011)
black metal

Burzum – From The Depths Of Darkness (2011)

As much as I initially enjoyed this reworking I still don’t really understand the whole point of this record. Like, why does it exist? It seems entirely un-Burzum to want to re-record past material in a more clear and well produced way. I suppose if the songs you released initially, even if loved all over the world, don’t match up to the vision you had as an artist, then that can be pretty frustrating. It is a shame then, that From The Depths Of Darkness is so poor. The only way in which the new found clarity works is with the riffs; that morose, weeping black metal quality actually sings beautifully with less grime clogging up the aural stage. The drumming however, is artificial and horrendously lazy. It kinda worked on Belus (almost), even on Fallen, but not here. And those vocals…. again, the “new” material with new vocal styles, OK I can appreciate that. But, it does the old songs absolutely no justice.

The Kovenant – In Times Before The Light (2002)
black metal electronic

The Kovenant – In Times Before The Light (2002)

When Covenant became Kovenant, I’m not sure if the world became a better or worse place. I love some of the Kovenant albums, but this kind of music hasn’t really aged well and is for me rather corny, and a product of the 90s. Imagine my surprise then, when I finally, after like 18 years or whatever, got around to listening to this re-recording. Immediately there is an industrial hue to it, like when an Aborym record kicks in, but the songs have been injected with new life. The synthesizer work in particular, sparkles and crackles with new found energy, driving these moody, magical songs into new, fresh and clean territory. I had the crazy idea that bands should record more albums twice, in two different styles. I love both versions of this record.

Sutcliffe Jügend – Blue Rabbit (2012)
avant-garde noise & power electronics

Sutcliffe Jügend – Blue Rabbit (2012)

Sometimes power electronics can be a little try hard,  especially when try to capture the impact of the older days.  Blue Rabbit however is genuinely terrifying; a brooding, disturbing entry from a great of the genre. All of the narratives are pretty macabre, but the title track itself is particularly harrowing. Musically, it is a little bit dialed back compared to some of their peers, instead of blasting your face with noise, the band let the creepy atmospheres unfold. Front and centre is the terrifying narratives. Definitely not for those of a weak disposition! 

Tool – Lateralus (2003)
avant-garde metal

Tool – Lateralus (2003)

In my younger days I always had a large respect for what Tool was doing, but in the constant lust for what was fast more brutal, or even more offensive, albums like Lateralus fell to the wayside for me. Thankfully, now in my wizened old age I can return to such records and see the beauty in them. Lateralus is like watching the mechanism of a very expensive Swiss watch in slow motion; all the layers come together beautifully, and the intricacy forms something greater than the sum of its parts. A simpler whole, if you’d allow me to say so.

Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder (2009)
doom metal

Shrinebuilder – Shrinebuilder (2009)

Shrinebuilder was the only studio record by the band of the same name, which was a super group consisting of Dale from the Melvins, Al from Om and Sleep, Wino from Saint Vitus, and Scott from Neurosis. It is a fairly polished affair, which is a solid listen, with most of the guys sharing vocal duties. Some of the tracks are quite monolithic, but standing up to all the other projects that these guys have been involved in, most of which will go down in metal history, Shrinebuilder unfortunately pales in comparison. That is not to say that the record is bad, it just stands in the shadow of those greater than it.

XXX Maniak – Harvesting The Cunt Nectar (2004)
grindcore

XXX Maniak – Harvesting The Cunt Nectar (2004)

Harvesting The Cunt Nectar (yes lol) is the only full length record from bizarre hyper-fast drum machine goregrind unit, XXX Maniak. The band’s linear notes, backstory and attention to gory detail really made this record stand out to me when it was released; the type of thing that perfectly appealed to the grotty 17 year old finding his footing in the world of grindcore. In the seemingly endless sea of digigrind projects on MySpace, XXX Maniak set the gold standard for what you could do with a drum machine, a perverse sense of humour and several guest appearances from Rich Hoak. The overall production quality is miles better than anything the band would release until their split with Coffins, and the whole splatter-tastic thing is dotted with hilarious samples, most of which I believe were created by the bands themselves. I could go through the tracklist and point out a whole bunch of my favourites, but I’d be here all day. If you haven’t heard this goregrind gem, then please give it a spin! I sold my 12″ splatter version of this, which a part of me deeply regrets, but this remains a solid goregrind record. For truly perversive deviants only.

Tonight She Comes (2016)
exploitation horror

Tonight She Comes (2016)

What in the holy mother of fuck did I just watch? Like, this is a mess. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I honestly don’t know. What starts as a slasher setting quickly devolves into a clusterfuck of Satanic rituals and insane plot twists. The plot can literally go fuck itself, but I have to commend this film on its gore, it’s cast (eyes are now firmly back in skull) and its production style. The film is well made. I’m just not sure if it’s a good film. Either way, be warned, this shit gets hella fuckin’ wild.

Lingua Ignota – Caligula (2019)
avant-garde noise & power electronics

Lingua Ignota – Caligula (2019)

There’s a lot of buzz and hype around this woman right now, so I was afraid of being disappointed. I can happily (is that the right word?) confirm however, that this is a dark and disturbing listen. I’m getting heavy Gnaw Their Tongues vibes off this, but the blend of dark atmospheric noise and classical music, along with multilayered vocals, it’s pretty unique. My one complaint is that the album is top heavy, and trails off towards the end. Hype train or no, this is a solid and raw entry into a genre that lurks mostly in the shadows, and I can only hope that the level of exposure this artist is getting for her intense performances (she was in Kerrang! magazine for fuck sake) brings a lot of new fans to the noise and power electronics underworlds. TLDR: imagine Jarboe and Pharmakon having a fight in a mine shaft.

System Of A Down – Toxicity (2001)
metal

System Of A Down – Toxicity (2001)

Arguably, Toxicity is the record that blew up System Of A Down. “Chop Suey” (or “Suicide” as it should be called) and the title track might be hideously overplayed, fodder to both TV music channels and the flaccid rotations at crappy rock bars, but the album as a whole is a work of bloody genius. SOAD retain the chaos present in their debut recording but bolster that with more solid song structuring, flourishes of different instrumentation, and a super polished production job and mastering. 

Sunn O))) – Pyroclasts (2019)
avant-garde metal

Sunn O))) – Pyroclasts (2019)

I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that Pyroclasts blew my mind. It’s the group’s second record in a fairly short period of time, so I wasn’t expecting the world when going in to this, but Pyroclasts showcases enormous slabs of drone rituals, each one as massive and totem-like as the last. The tones are stunning; avalanches of folding sounds and gargantuan waves of distortion.

Class Of Nuke ‘Em High (1986)
exploitation

Class Of Nuke ‘Em High (1986)

I can’t decide whether the abnormality that is Class Of Nuke ‘Em High is either genius or hideously hideously bad. The plot suffers some pacing issues, for me I found it hard to stay focused during the first act (yes, even with all those nude “teens” lol) but the payoff comes towards the end. This is a Troma classic so I won’t go into the story itself, but it’s worth saying that the effects are top notch, and are everything you should expect from a Troma release, if not in smaller doses than I expected. What truly surprised me was the camera work, and dare I say, cinematography. This piece sings beautifully on old grimy film, and the editing and aesthetic choices are glorious. 

Pungent Stench – Ampeauty (2003)
death metal

Pungent Stench – Ampeauty (2003)

LOL this record is all kinds of sleazy. In parts, that comes across as pretty evil and sinister, other times just infantile. Nevertheless, the riffs are great, the production is perfectly balanced (that bass hums through the mix), making Ampeauty a nasty metal record for those who like to stroll on the sicker side of life. Happy valentines day from us here at Lines In Wax!

The Angels Of Light – New Mother (1999)
folk, neofolk & acoustic

The Angels Of Light – New Mother (1999)

The Angels Of Light took the heavily textured work of late 90s Swans and moulded those sound collages into moving, gorgeous folk songs. It is of course, in reality, a slightly more complicated story than that, and there is a lot to unpack here, a lot of nuances, however there is a beauteous simplicity to the tracks that betrays the denser roots that lay beneath the sparkly surface of these melancholic hymns. I find New Mother to meander somewhat, but it is still a solid debut from this now legendary act.

Avenged Sevenfold – City Of Evil (2005)
metal

Avenged Sevenfold – City Of Evil (2005)

Nyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaahhhhhhhhh! Asides from the fact that M. Shadows sounds like a goddamn super villain, City Of Evil has aged fairly well. It is a slick yet clumsy monstrosity of a record, with a lot of it’s saving grace lying in the production. This could easily have been a garbled mush of bad GNR worship. The most notable performance for me though is the busybody drumming of The Rev, who was an incredible drummer, and arguably, wasted on A7X, but there we go.

The Toolbox Murders (1978)
exploitation slasher

The Toolbox Murders (1978)

This is a strange one. The movie starts off as one of the more depraved exploitation films I’ve encountered thus far; scene after scene of gratuitous nudity and horrendous violence towards women randomly peters out after half hour and the movie turns into this slow investigation / psychological piece. It is bizarre to see pretty much all of the slasher kills over and done with in one go, and honestly, it really effects the pacing and the remaining hour is an absolute slog to get through. A shame, as the snuff-vibes of this thing are totally minging to begin with. Toolbox Murders is brutal, but it really misses the mark.

Christian Death – Sex Drugs And Jesus Christ (1988)
rock

Christian Death – Sex Drugs And Jesus Christ (1988)

Christian Death’s discography has been spotty; and is very hit and miss. Sex Drugs and Jesus Christ pretty much embodies that fact for me, being a meandering journey through a variety of different material, all of which being perplexingly “trademark” Christian Death, yet varying wildly between track to track. This should, in all honesty, showcase the pair’s musical chops, but some of the time, the record just completely loses its way as it jumps here or there. When its good, it’s great, but in the next breath, I’m left scratching my head.

Beherit – The Oath Of Black Blood (1991)
black metal

Beherit – The Oath Of Black Blood (1991)

I’m unsure if this is a bestial classic or just a total fucking mess. In fact, it’s probably the perfect avalanche of both. It conjures memories of my time listening to Blasphemy or Revenge, so I’m glad I gave this one a go. I’m a bit rusty on thee pits ov black metal outside of Norway so was fuckin’ enlightened to come across this. No gods, no production, no mastering! Ha!

System Of A Down – System Of A Down (1998)
metal

System Of A Down – System Of A Down (1998)

There is an unique charm to the first System record. It is much rougher around the edges than the later offerings, and the vocals employ more shrieks and growls, akin more to metal than the unique brand of rock SOAD would go on to produce. You can almost smell the air and tell which year this was recorded in; the way alternative music was going around then… well let’s just say this record is symptomatic of that. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, but there are indeed elements which have not aged all that well. That being said there is a fantastic set of tracks here, exploring territory that System would never tread again. It was a stunning debut album.

Archgoat – Heavenly Vulva (Christ’s Last Rites) (2011)
black metal

Archgoat – Heavenly Vulva (Christ’s Last Rites) (2011)

I’ll be honest with you, it was the cover art that drew me in here. It reminded me somewhat of the blasphemous inkings of Akercocke drummer David, and it was enough to draw me into Archgoat’s heretical and enormously noisy world. Heavenly Vulva (LOL) is not as abrasive as say, Blasphemy or Beherit, but it is a 15 minute uncompromisingly brutal attack in the style of black metal. It isn’t particularly “grimm” or even “khold”, but it absolutely fucking rips.

Bowel Rot – Gonorrhoea Infection (2012)
grindcore

Bowel Rot – Gonorrhoea Infection (2012)

I’ve forgotten how much I love Bowel Rot (what a sentence) or even just the varied works of one Bobby Maggard in general. Gonorrhoea Infection is a gory, super mushy downtuned romp that is effortlessly disgusting and very highly recommended grinding noise. Please disregard the absolutely horrendous cover art, which does this noise no justice.

Big Black – Atomizer (1986)
noise & power electronics punk & hardcore

Big Black – Atomizer (1986)

I love Big Black, but for some reason I never have them in my rotation all that often. A colleague at my previous job swore down that Atomizer was their best album, and I had to admit that I had never heard it, so out I went and got stuck in. I just love those abrasive, hollow walls of guitar noise. It shouldn’t work but it does when you mount layer and layer and layer of that shit all on top of each other. The clanking bass and drum machine spine underneath it all speaks directly to my soul.

Air – Moon Safari (1998)
electronic

Air – Moon Safari (1998)

I think if there is one album in the world that I could describe as being “just lovely”, then Air’s Moon Safari would be it. I’m probably being a pleb here, but it invokes feelings in such a way that it makes electronic music sound new, fresh and exciting. I get a heavy “we can go anywhere” vibe off this, for all its 90s cliches.

Mudvayne – The Beginning Of All Things To End (2001)
metal

Mudvayne – The Beginning Of All Things To End (2001)

The Beginning Of All Things To End is a compilation album that puts Mudvayne’s first EP from 1997 alongside some crappy “Dig” remixes and the full 17 minute version of “LD.50”, which is the trippy electronic shit that appears on the album of the same name (y’know, that shit in between songs that has sped up Terrence McKenna samples?). The only thing of any worth here is the OG Kill, I Oughtta tracks. They don’t really offer anything special but it is a cool insight into where Mudvayne came from.

The Aphex Twin – Collapse EP (2018)
electronic

The Aphex Twin – Collapse EP (2018)

More Aphex Twin is always a welcome. Collapse is a compact EP featuring several fresh new cuts of ticking, bleeping, blopping electronic goodness, blown along with wispy, dreamy synths. I’ve recently got myself some Tin T2 IEMs and this kind of music just absolutely melts my head on that kind of stereo stage. Glorious.

The Arena (1974)
exploitation

The Arena (1974)

The Arena is a mid 70s exploitation shit show featuring the excellent Pam Greer. The main girls are pretty decent (or at least funny) actors but the supporting cast are appalling. The plot makes literally no sense and the ending is absolute trash but there is something endearing about this awful movie. It has zero redeeming features but there is something about which has put a smile on my face, regardless. I think that probably says a lot about me as a person, but there we go. 

Behind The Green Door (1972)
erotica

Behind The Green Door (1972)

Where does porn end and exploitation film begin? Sometimes the line is blurry, or hard to define. In the case of Behind The Green Door, the line is pretty clear cut. Starring the same lass that was in Cronenberg’s Rabid, Green Door tells the story of a girl who is kidnapped and taken to an elite sex club, where she is fucked in all manner of ways from (and to) Sunday. Apparently, this did so much for the pornographic world back in the day, and included a highly controversial interracial scene. Honestly, it hasn’t really aged that well at all, but I’m glad I watched it.

Siege Mentality – Arrest Days (2014)
punk & hardcore

Siege Mentality – Arrest Days (2014)

This record brings back memories of Red Sun fest in Cardiff, fuck – 5 years ago! These guys played around the same time as Grand Collapse and I mega enjoyed their combination of punky crust and darker elements. Arrest Days captures the band’s energy and vibe effortlessly. It’s not a long record by any stretch, but it’s fucking great. I don’t think these guys have done all that much else, which is a shame. Arrest Days by Siege Mentality

Shivers (1975)
exploitation horror

Shivers (1975)

Well this was just glorious. Eery yet hilarious from the outset, what this lacks in Cronenberg’s infamous body horror FX it makes up for with hilarious attitude and plot. A sexually promiscuous young woman and a scientist of sorts have brought an unstoppable parasite to a housing complex. Weird shit, and almost surrealist in some ways, I’m sure there’s a bigger message here that maybe I am missing. Nevertheless, there’s enough nipples showing through tops to keep your attention if surrealism isn’t your thing. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Painkiller – Guts Of A Virgin (1991)
avant-garde grindcore jazz

Painkiller – Guts Of A Virgin (1991)

Painkiller is not a million miles away from the early Naked City stuff, if not a little more streamlined – if that is even the right word! Guts Of A Virgin, as you may be able to guess by the title, is a much more brutal affair. The controversy surrounding the album’s censorship aside, this is a disturbing and batshit insane mishmash where the lines between jazz and grindcore are completely blurred.

Desecration – Forensix (2008)
death metal

Desecration – Forensix (2008)

Forensix is probably my favourite Desecration record. There is just something about the pace and vibe that makes it stand out amongst the other records. There’s a ton of killer tracks here, most of which were live staples of the band’s performances for many years to come. The bass pops and clanks, the riffs are razor sharp and the vocals rabid, and the drums… well, Mikey is an animal, what can I say. Aim! Fire! Kill!

Burzum – Fallen (2011)
black metal

Burzum – Fallen (2011)

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that’s some interesting singing there, Varg. Fallen was the first record I heard when Burzum returned. He released a bunch of records in a fairly quick succession, to little or no fanfare, so I was rather taken aback with this record and also Belus and that one compilation of re-recorded oldies. I feel like a lot of people wouldn’t even sneeze at this later stuff. Some of the magic of the earlier stuff is definitely missing; somehow in the technology used to record this, the tunes have become somewhat more sterile. That being said, there are some absolutely gorgeous black metal riffs on this thing; weeping, plodding epics with Viking vokills and melancholic repetition. Fallen doesn’t get a lot of plays from me, but it’s still good in my book.

Trouble – Psalm 9 (1984)
doom metal

Trouble – Psalm 9 (1984)

Often regarded as a classic of the doom metal genre, on Trouble / Psalm 9 the band take a more traditional rock and or roll approach, encompassing heavy – how should I say – Sabbathisms and elements of drowsy blues to their rocking sound. It’s not as heavy as Vitus or the aforementioned Sabbath, but it’s still a staple in the beginnings of doom.

Ilsa: She Wolf Of The SS (1975)
exploitation

Ilsa: She Wolf Of The SS (1975)

Having finally watching this uhhh… “movie” I can see why it remains unrated. Ilsa is essentially a porno, with dump trucks of full frontal female nudity, and even more horrendous torture and “snuff porn” in the way of nubile young beauties being put through a series of increasingly disgusting medical “trials”. It’s a tough watch, even for a seasoned gore or sexploitation nerd, but it’s definitely one for the history books. In my opinion it’s worth watching just to see an SS general being pissed on by the titular main character. Could it be any more German? (I’m joking, Germany I love you!)

Avulsed – Cybergore (1998)
death metal electronic

Avulsed – Cybergore (1998)

I’m unsure of what to really make of this one. It seems to pre-date all the awful cyber grind of the 2000s, instead being a product of the 90s where hip hop and nu metal douchebaggery bled into the extreme music worlds. That being said, Cybergore has some decent riffs, and some interesting variations on the theme of techno shit mixed with metal. This sounds like a soundtrack to a long lost 90s shoot ‘em up.

The Berzerker – Animosity (2006)
death metal

The Berzerker – Animosity (2006)

Animosity provided no great step forward from the material presented on World Of Lies, although I will say that the riffing is slightly less mournfully melodic as its predecessor and the programmed drumming is a little less chunky. It is however, as a whole, more refined and to the point. To some, it may just feel like another album being dropped, but to me it doesn’t fuck around, and is entirely savage as fuck. It is a long way from what made The Berzerker stand out with their debut, but its still an unique take on death metal whichever way you slice the cake (or corpse).