Various Artists -- Odour of Dust & Rot (review)

Band: various artists
Album: Odour of Dust & Rot
Genre: black metal
Year: 2011
Label: Rhinocervs

This V/A compilation collects tracks from a number of West-Coast US black metal bands and presents a dark, mystifying experience.  For such a release, this is a very cohesive compilation; it almost feels as if a singular group is playing all the songs.  What's more is none of the offerings stands out as particularly lacking in quality, yet not everything seems inherently essential to this comp either.
The highlights of this hour-long behemoth are the opening and closing numbers.  "Enslave Every Star" leads us into the comp with waves of eerie dissonance, which effectively sets the tone for the subsequent tracks.  The artist is frustratingly uncredited, and it would seem they (possibly) provided a number of the comp's tracks (6 total uncredited tracks).  The closer is a slow, morose number by Absum (who also have multiple cuts on the release).  Their other two tracks are likewise doomy and sullen with a vocalist who is incomprehensible but clearly in agony.
The other artists bring forth equally depraved cuts of black metal fury.  Glossolalial's "Filth In the Light" stands out with its dissonant lead guitars, and Nihilobstat provide a slab of doomier black metal filth.  The longest track is provided by Kuxan Suum at nearly eleven minutes.  This piece, titled "Principle of Harmonic Resonance", takes the listener on a psychedelic, cosmic journey through Mayan astrology.
Overall, this comp is very well put together.  The tracks flow seamlessly, almost as if the bands were all one entity.  Give this fine compilation a listen on YouTube here.


Rating: 3.5 / 5
Top Tracks:
unknown -- Enslave Every Star
Absum -- Restless Specter
Glossolial -- Filth In the Light

Project Nefast -- SEX MONEY POWER (review)

Band: Project Nefast
Album: SEX MONEY POWER
Genre: drone metal
Year: 2017
Label: Tartarus Records

Sex.  Money.  Power.
Project Nefast blow me away yet again.  Their previous effort, Dogma, was a monstrous exposé of psychedelic bliss, and here we see the band taking their sound in a new direction: drone metal.  Consisting of four hypnotic tracks, SEX MONEY POWER is a half-hour journey into a world of wailing feedback and distortion.  I'll break it down track-by-track and also delve into the accompanying music videos...
The album opens with the absolutely crushing "Mislukkeling."  This is pure, unadulterated drone metal.  Wave after wave of harsh guitar noise crashes upon the listener in an unrelenting bath of chaos.  The drummer gets a few shots in as well, but rather than providing structure, he only adds to the disarray.  And who would have thought that there would be a music video for this?  I don't think I've ever seen a music video for an instrumental, but Project Nefast pull it off.  The video trudges along slowly, keeping pace with the music.  The plot is simple: three masked men (Nefast in the flesh) sit around a table playing monopoly.  Two of the album's central themes are represented in the scene: MONEY (monopoly cash raining down on the men) and POWER (the array of weapons on the table, including a pair of... well, scissors).  Overall, I would say it matches the track perfectly and gives us a little glimpse into the minds of this Dutch trio.
Check the video here.
Next up is "Pastorale."  On this track, Nefast lead us into a nice little psychedelic jam.  Somewhat reminiscent of their 2016 album, "Pastorale" builds intensity over its nearly 10-minute running time before slowing down and running out of steam.
A jolt of noise announces the third track, the titular "SEX MONEY POWER."  Yet another shift in musical direction, "SEX MONEY POWER" builds a wall of psychedelic noise which all but drowns out the vocalist.  The drummer provides structure to this droning wall of sound by blasting away at a steady pace.  Once again, I am reminded of Dogma, but it still seems fresh.  The music video displays a darker side of the band.  Shaky, black-and-white footage follows a pair of women as they engage in the nightlife of the urban sprawl.  Everything seems pretty lighthearted as the duo walk the city streets, clearly high as fuck.  The footage is intercut with shots of a playground, particularly focusing on a slide.  As the tension in the song finally explodes, the women break into an argument which ultimately escalates into a fight at the playground.  The whole thing is filmed in such a way that it feels unnerving, and the action follows the swell of the music perfectly.
View the video here.
Finally, we have "Ziektebeeld."  A steady drum-and-bass beat provides the stage for a rant ( I presume in Dutch) by a seemingly crazed vocalist.  It almost feels like a one-sided argument, as if he is trying to reason with himself.  The guitars chime in, providing a layer of psyched-out droning.  Some electronic elements are also utilized towards the end of the track.  The album ends very abruptly.  The shift from droning repetitiveness to absolute nothingness is quite a shock, yet in my opinion is not out of place.
Project Nefast end the album on an odd note, but that seems to be the point.  Society craves sex, money, and power, but these things cannot fill the void within us all.  They leave much to be desired (or maybe I'm just full of shit on this one).  I highly recommend you listen to this trio's discography.  You can stream SEX MONEY POWER from their bandcamp here and purchase a cassette copy from Tartarus Records here.  Full support for these Dutch metallers!


Rating: 4 / 5
Top Tracks:
SEX MONEY POWER
Ziektebeeld

Project Nefast -- Dogma (review)

Artist: Project Nefast
Album: Dogma
Genre: psychedelic black metal
Year: 2016
Label: independent

This review comes in anticipation of Project Nefast's forthcoming album, Sex Money Power.

Project Nefast hail from the Netherlands and deliver a hypnotic, droning form of black metal.  Their sophomore full-length, Dogma, is rather simple, yet the Dutch trio manages to drown the listener in a whirlwind of psychedelic noise.  The album consists of a single, 36-minute track titled "Obsession" which, according to the band, is subdivided into four distinct movements.
The first section consists of droning noise and light guitar feedback which creates a soothing atmosphere that is juxtaposed with the vocalist shouting an unintelligible phrase over and over.  The droning sounds very light and soft despite the fact that it is drowning out the vocalist, who is clearly shouting.
The second movement interrupts and takes the track in a different direction.  The drums provide a solid foundation for a methodical bassline, and the guitar takes center stage, building in intensity over time.  The drummer breaks out into a steady blast beat as the guitar riff becomes a wall of sound.  This passage seems to flow over the listener like the ocean tide.  The vocalist returns, seemingly distant amidst the shimmering atmosphere.
Out of nowhere, the band abruptly stops, snapping the listener out of their trance.  The guitar begins a new riff, this one much slower and more doom metal in nature.  Feedback fills in the gaps between each note, and the vocalist continues to wail as the drummer plays a slow, thumping beat.  The song takes on a heavy, oppressive nature.  It seems to weigh down on the listener, dragging them deeper into the depths.  Over time, the riff becomes a single droning note repeated ad nauseam until it fades, leaving only the bass and drums to steadily continue.
The final movement builds off of the beat and bassline of the previous one.  The focus is a hypnotizing guitar jam that is drenched in psychedelia.  The intensity builds and crashes repeatedly, like rolling waves, until the track finally comes to a close.
This release shows the band's ability to compose and execute lengthy, singular pieces.  The methodical nature of the music adds to the psychedelic atmosphere created by the guitars.  I am really looking forward to the band's work in the future!  Download this album for free from Project Nefast's bandcamp here.


Rating: 4 / 5