Vol.II

May 5, 2024May 5, 2024 CherylLeave a comment

Thank you, to those who read the first part of this review. For those still with me, here is the second.

Saturday

Saturday begins with the most ridiculous transport problem I’ve had since I moved out of London and I arrive to Knoll two minutes before they start. The room is lit only by a handful of table lamps at strategic points on the stage which sets the tone for the grindcore/noise band to fully embrace their darkness. Screaming into the void is vocalist Jamie Eubanks who takes on a persona that is both engaging and aggressive. Curious noise interludes and trumpet add to the pitch black atmosphere the band create and its not until they leave the stage that the audience finally takes a collective breath.

Heading to the The Terminal and the European debut of Couch Slut and their new album being played in full, I fight through the crowds to secure a good viewing spot. You Could Do It Tonight is a hard listen, as is almost everything Couch Slut put out, with true stories being told from the viewpoint of the band and vocalist Megan Osztrosits. Appearing on stage looking like she just rolled out of bed, Megan tells us with all honesty, that’s the case. Last night they played in the skatepark and evidently the party continued well into the late hours. It doesn’t detract from the performance, however, it only enhances the filth and horror that lies underneath Couch Slut’s music and words. This afternoon the band are stark in their truth and that brutal candor brings to the surface emotions that have long been forgotten and fleeting memories of terror. It’s affecting in ways that are both blunt and fascinating, and that uncomfortable and sad feeling persists still now.

Roadburn Festival 2024 // In Review // Vol.I

April 28, 2024April 28, 2024 CherylLeave a comment

I went back and forth on whether I would write about Roadburn this year, mainly because I had no idea if I would have the motivation or the commitment to doing so once I got back home. Over the Festival weekend a few people asked and I was still leaning towards no up until the Sunday morning of the fest. It’s been quite a long time since I wrote anything substantial and even longer since I wrote about live music. However, the weekend was quite extraordinary and on Sunday morning after a strong coffee, I decided to go for it.

I got home and those feelings disappeared quite quickly. Was it worth it? To write down how I felt about several bands, how they performed and how the crowd received them? I still don’t know and yet here I am, writing about my feelings once again.

Roadburn Festival is a unique place. The atmosphere is always one of welcoming and of being open to new and interesting music. People wander in groups or alone, although there is never a feeling of being lonely in Tilburg as everyone is there for the same reason. To enjoy the bands you know and to discover the ones you don’t. I missed last year for personal (I was hella sad) reasons and so getting back into the spirit was a little harder this year. Getting up at 02:30 may have had something to do with this, yet a triple espresso on the train from Schipol to Tilburg certainly helped in boosting the energy levels.

The Round Up Tapes // Submission Edition Volume VIX

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021 CherylLeave a comment

A Sea of Dead Trees – Garmonbozia

A Sea of Dead Trees is a vehicle for pain and depression; the voice with which sole member Robert Heath channels their deepest thoughts and anxieties, hopeless nights and endless days which merge into one blurry passage of unknown time. Heath does not shy away from the intensity of depression and the intrusive thoughts that can enter the mind as though a voice from another dimension. Here, A Sea of Dead Trees winds haunting and oftentimes soft vocals into songs that would otherwise have been instrumental narratives of a life lost to pain.

The Round Up Tapes // Submission Edition Volume VIII

July 10, 2021July 10, 2021 CherylLeave a comment

Gonemage – Mystical Extraction

After the release of Cara Neir’s Phase Out in February band member Garry Brents (here known as Galimgim) sought to expand on that already well-rounded universe by creating an offshoot to the story, a side-quest if you will, to explore further what happened when their characters were glitched into a land where video games rule (the lore is explained much more succinctly on their bandcamp pages). Mystical Extraction is a work of bizarre electronic pulses, chiptune, black metal, melody and fantasy and it is clear that Gonemage are deeply in love with their subject matter.

“Chained Castle” is a furiously screamed song of wonder – Who am I? Where am I? – and Brents’ voice is a spark in the darkness, whether that’s during rage-fuelled cries or the subtle clean harmonies that peek through towards the end. “Dust Merchant” also utilises those clean lines to bring new dimensions to this character – much like “Shady Blades” on Phase Out which allows the music to exist in the same universe while also standing on its own. This screamo influenced direction is one which Gonemage settles into often and as the music gets more aggressive, then the vocals become more beautiful and melancholic — it’s a wonderful shift in texture and Mystical Extraction is all the better for it.

Cara Neir – Phase Out

February 17, 2021February 17, 2021 Cheryl1 Comment

Cara Neir – Phase Out

The evolution of Cara Neir has been a joy to watch unfold since they began over a decade ago in Texas. Their take on black metal has long been a singular one with differing elements taking their music on a fascinating journey from black metal to hardcore to experimental weirdness and back again but all with the incredible ability to make it make sense. Cara Neir’s trick is to take opposing forces and meld them in such a way as to make it beautiful and Phase Out fully realises that conceit during songs that are rooted in RPG lore and a love for gaming.

Roadburn Festival 2020 // In Isolation // Vol. II

April 17, 2020 Cheryl1 Comment

By now, it’s clear that many spring and summer events are cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic that is affecting our planet. One such event is Roadburn Festival which takes place every April in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

The festival is best known for bringing excellent music to a dedicated audience and this year they really pushed themselves and their curators to convoke an interesting line-up. Artists would collaborate, albums would be debuted and newly commissioned works would be premiered. It is a shame that the 2020 edition is now postponed, in as much of its entirety as possible, until 2021 but there is still much that can be done to support the artists who will be losing income over these coming months from missing shows and being unable to ship merchandise to some parts of the world. The health of the world hangs in the balance and this is the only sensible and reasonable action that can be taken.

Roadburn Festival Poster by Douwe Dijkstra Illustration

Roadburn Festival 2020 // In Isolation // Vol. I

April 14, 2020April 14, 2020 Cheryl2 Comments

Looking Towards The End // 2019

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 CherylLeave a comment

It’s the end of the year and the end of a decade that was driven by change. A lot changed for me, personally, over the last ten years and I can only hope that it led to my becoming a better person. But that is subjective, as is choosing a list of records that I super enjoyed over the last ten months. There was a lot of music released in 2019 and a lot of music I just didn’t hear. There was a lot of music I did hear and never wanted to listen to again. There was music I couldn’t get enough of and listened to constantly. I listened to a handful of non-metal records that I really loved – these records can be seen on a list that will soon be published on Scene Point Blank. I also wrote a list for Metal Hammer but due to deadlines this was required to be finalised at the beginning of October and so my “final” list of albums I really liked has changed a little since then.

For those two lists I had to rank my choices and here I will rank only my top three – these are the records that really made a huge impact on me this year. The remaining records are all excellent, too, of course. If there’s a review of the album then you can find it by clicking on the band name and if you navigate to the record label then you’ll find the bandcamp page for the album (where available) in order to show your own support to these artists.

If you read anything that I wrote this year, then thank you. I hope to continue in 2020.

Mizmor – Cairn (Gilead Media)

Alcest – Spiritual Instinct (Nuclear Blast Records)

Schammasch – Hearts Of No Light (Prosthetic Records)

Roadburn Festival 2019 // In Confrontation // Vol. II

April 19, 2019April 22, 2019 Cheryl4 Comments

The second part of my Roadburn Festival coverage can be found below (the first part is here). Please forgive the lapses into first person narrative – it’s not something that I do very often at all but Roadburn has been a deeply personal experience each time I’ve attended and I feel that I couldn’t have taken a step back from it while writing something about it.

2018’s edition was a strange time for me; I’d moved country a few months prior and still had many unsettled feelings and that I didn’t really belong anywhere yet. The music I saw that year hit hard and seeing Bell Witch, Worship and Mizmor in one long day really took me to places I had tried not to think about. This year I feel more at home in my new country and the experience of the festival was reflected in that. I felt grief for the person I once was but also hope for what is to come. There is so much relief to be found this year, and this culminated in the Have A Nice Life performance on the main stage on Sunday – I can finally let go of my fears and embrace the future.

Roadburn Festival 2019 // In Confrontation // Vol. I

April 16, 2019April 22, 2019 Cheryl4 Comments

Beginning a review is always the most difficult part of the writing process. There are many thoughts and feelings that you want to express and so many experiences that you want to put across in the right way and your train of thought moves fluidly from one thing to the next…. but getting that down in a coherent and interesting way is something that often falls short. For a weekend spent at Roadburn Festival that process becomes ten times more difficult as experiences are not exactly in short supply and each person has their own unique take on what the city of Tilburg has given them for the four day festival run. No two people will likely have exactly the same experience of Roadburn and it’s often said by the festival team and those who have attended many times “Roadburn is what you make of it, it’s personal, it’s yours.” And that is such a true statement. This is my third Roadburn and while it’s not a festival I can claim to have been to as many times as another person…it often feels like some bands are being booked directly out of my dreams and for the thousands of other attendees this is most probably true for them. Somehow Walter gets into your mind and pulls out your musical desires and the festival becomes as much a part of you as it is for the organisers.

Bleak Metal

None more bleak.

Tag: Electronic