Analfabetism ‎– Sjön Där Hon Dränkte Sina Djur

Analfabetism ‎– Sjön Där Hon Dränkte Sina Djur Not On Label (self-released) 2019

Following a couple of albums on Malignant Records in 2015 and 2017, Analfabetism have issued two self-released albums in 2018 & 2019. Sjön Där Hon Dränkte Sina Djur is the latest album from mid-2019.

Based on the earlier Malignant albums I have heard, they displayed a distinct Swedish death industrial angle. Clearly that sound remains here, but from the opening moment of Vættr there is a greater display of experimentation, where dank liquidous tones and deep bass rumbles blend with up front ‘micro-tonal’ textures, while the second have the track focuses on heavier atonal industrial elements. On the following track Kråkeld, given its murky production, distant rhythmic elements, erupting fissures of distortion and garbled voices it is an effective case study in Swedish death industrial. Pushing a more direct and aggressive tone, Vedergällning evokes a mood of seething menace, with the mid-toned droning layers pushing up towards higher pitched distortion, coupled with the vocals being rendered as another seething layer. Elsewhere Miðgarðsormr deliveries a track of thick and laborious muted bass tones, which mid track briefly explodes with noxious distortion. Ihjäl de vittra rounds out the 50-minute album with more muted bass rumble and features an effective use of panning voices between speakers to generate an off kilter feel.

As a general comment I would say that Analfabetism are something of a workhorse project, who with little fanfare delivers strong and varied material within the chosen niche style. As such everything I have heard from the project, including this new album, is both top notch and certainly an enjoyable genre piece. Also, don’t let the ‘self-released’ status colour your impression in any way. The cover is slickly designed and has been professionally printed as a 6 panel dig-pack that suitably rounds out the physical presentation.

Detrimental Effect – Your Truth

Detrimental Effect – Your Truth CD Tesco Organisation 2019

With little fanfare, hype or even basic promotion before the actual release, the second full length album from Detrimental Effect has been dropped on an unsuspecting underground (…perhaps akin to a covert dirty bomb attack…). Noting the last album was on Unsound Recordings (a side label of Unrest Productions), this new release has been issued on Tesco Organisation.

Thematically speaking a phrase featured on the back cover provides some context: ‘and you obey in advance, as you compromise your values, your principles, your heedless acts of conformity’, while an under-tray image provides a visual of what appears to be an example of testosterone fueled, chest beating nationalism. But with little more in the way of explanation, listeners are left up to their own devices to glean their own ‘truth’ of what the album is about. On the sonic front the album tracks draw from a similar analogue sound palette to the debut Be My Enemy (reviewed here), which includes: pulsing and revving distortion, vague looped structures, vocals to processed to the point of unrecognizability and smatterings of dialogue samples. Yet these elements are harnessed and creatively employed compositionally to generate distinctiveness and variation between each piece. Likewise while clearly building on the already established industrial / power electronics sound, Your Truth has ever so slightly dialled down of overt aggression and unhinged sonic elements. Thus by pulling back slightly it has created create degree of brooding restraint which in turn has pushed the industrial sound slightly more towards a controlled heavy electronics frame of reference. After the bristling opener A Righteous Conflict, the following track Cruci-fiction is very much a case in point of this perception, itself being a track based on a low throbbing pulse, sustained needling textures sampled interview dialogue and other distinct layered elements, coming across as a brooding heavy electronics track of the highest order. Homeland Security is also an example of impact through simplicity, framed around a dive-bombing loop, caustic vocal layers and semi-buried dialogue samples. The Lie of the Land is also noteworthy based on its laborious militant pulse and a multitude of sweeping textures, while the final title track ends with a  track of sustained spitting and squelching loops and one final flanger treated vocal barrage.

Matt card stock of the 4-panel digipack features simple artwork, which stylistically matches the design of debut and like the artwork the is album is both direct and to the point. Without being a mere retread of the debut, Your Truth is both a refinement and expansion of Detrimental Effect’s now established sound, and consequently has delivered a storming release in the process.

Deutsch Nepal – Staring At My Wall

Deutsch Nepal – Staring At My Wall CD Entartete Musikk 2019

By now Lina Baby Doll’s project Deutsch Nepal is recognised as a long standing, unique and ever dependent fixture of the post-industrial underground. Staring At My Wall comes some four years on from 2014’s Alcohology, although in between there was a couple of splits and compilation collections, as well as a vocal collaboration album Easting the Dust with Reutoff.

In leaping straight in, the music of the opening title track is notable as it specifically harks back to the classic sound of the long regarded classic first album Deflagration of Hell. As such the stellar track features mid paced hypnotic looped rhythms, driving beat and dark drones, while the vocals themselves are also recognised from the track Terrible Place featured on the collaboration album with Reutoff. With this basic structure set, the album rolls through collection of tracks of quintessential vocal lead Deutsch Nepal compositions. This means that some tracks are ambient and mellow, while others are more direct based on looped percussion and bass rhythms, all the while Lina’s bellowed and crooned vocals gives an immediately distinct edge. Butterfly is then notable as it charts both of these styles, where the first passage is a mellow ambient soundscape, before launching into a rousing looped rhythmic and vocal led passage for the balance of the track. How Low in its original form was on 1999’s Erosion but is featured here in a completely new version titled How Low… 2017. While the original featured low crooned vocals and an atmospheric soundscape articulating a floating drugged haze, here in its new version it features brute force martial percussion and commanding vocal delivery, thus very much feels to be a completely different track. Pasolini also stands out positively brooding orchestral drones, muted ticking/ swaying rhythmic elements and surreal and dreamlike lyrics. The final track Let Go And Slip Away then completely surprises given its upbeat and happy ditty of a melody and sporadic hand-clapped beat, yet with Lina’s vocals and mid track twist into nightmarish territory provides enough of a surreal edge to keep a foot squarely in the Deutsch Nepal camp.

With near enough to three decades of activity by now Deutsch Nepal should be a household name in the post-industrial underground. So, while on one hand Staring At My Wall certainly delivers a sound that could only be from mind of Lina. But on the other this new album is both playfully creative and addictively engaging, and a clear demonstration that Lina is still on his game. A worthy addition to the Deutsch Nepal discography.

Nordvargr – Daath

Nordvargr – Daath LP Cyclic Law 2019

2018’s Metempsychosis heralded a new musical direction for Nordvargr, being the effective culmination of a number of stylistic threads spread across various projects. To then speak specifically of Metempsychosis (reviewed here), it featured a vocal driven, song based death industrial style heavily rooted in real instrumentation, including standing kit percussion and rhythmic bass guitar. Now that well over a year has passed since its release, the follow up Daath has finally arrived, it continues the same path set down by Metempsychosis. Yet by mostly forgoing the bridging ambient interludes, Daath is a far more honed and focused affair, with eight direct song based compositions.

The first track Inner Monarch Awakened functions to metaphorically open the gates, where the wailing horns and looped creaking metallics creates a slow laborious rhythm over which Nordvargr’s gruff throat rasped vocals are bellowed. The Horsemen Ride Out On Foaming Steeds then quickly establishes itself as an early album highlight, with its deep sub-orchestral drones and thundering percussion, mid-paced bass guitar rhythm and again with prominent vocals. With a continued upward trajectory Tabernakelvisa – The Redeemer And The Secret further steps up mood, where the rolling tribal drums of death and deep thrummed bass guitar rhythm perfectly intertwine, being a track of resounding dark menace. As King, As Queen – When Kingdom Collide is yet another highlight with plodding bass and martial kit percussion, but very much framed as a vocal lead ritual death industrial song. Late album track The Light Of The Lord And The Black Sun Behind The Sun contains subtle hints of a sound which pushes more towards MZ.412 given its use of martial snare, deep brass orchestral horns and piano motif. Yet this is partly explained by the promotional blurb, as evidently Daath was recorded back to back with the latest MZ.412 album Svartmyrkr (reviewed here). As for the final track Where There Is Word There Is Enlightenment, it features as a widescreen ritual ambient soundscape, thus opts for a mellow conclusion to the album.

With eight tracks and a mere 34-minute run time, Daath is not a long album by any measure, but it packs a major impact in that short time-frame to feel much longer than it actually is. Given the song-based material is very much suited to the live arena, this was strongly evidenced when personally witnessing a number of tracks from Daath performed by Nordvargr at the Dominion of Flesh in Stockholm, November, 2019 (aka Cloister Recordings 5^th Anniversary festival). As a final comment, and without putting too much of a point on it, Daath is yet another high water-mark in Nordvargr’s ever-expanding discography, so yes, this is recommended. LP and CD version comes via Cyclic Law and MC version via Cloister Recordings.

Moral Order ‎– About Degradation And Death

Moral Order ‎– About Degradation And Death 7″ep Cloister Recordings 2019

Following the relatively quick release of three heavy electronics / industrial albums on Tesco Organisation, Malignant Records and Cloister Recordings in 2018 / 2019, it has quickly established Moral Order within the within the underground. More specifically Moral order is a Spanish project helmed by Fernando O. Paíno, where this short two track EP then continues the already established sonic style.

The first track on Side A is the title track and delivers an ominously swirling heavy electronics / industrial infused sound, including windswept analogue synths and muted two note droning melody. The second track on the flip side is The Fire Is Still Burning and is another ominous track. Here layered analogue synths blend with sampled choral vocals, but also differentiates itself with a low rhythmic beat and whispered male vocals. Although short in length, both tracks are understated yet caustic and menacing in the best way possible.

For its physical edition the black vinyl has been issued in two version (50 in a white cover/ black envelope and 50 in a back cover/ white envelope), and with the envelope sealed with the wax seal of the label, it clearly plays up to the collectors’ fetishist mindset. Track a copy down if you can.