The Shape of Blog To Come

   The moment I sat down to write tonight I felt like this kind of post has actually been a long time coming. I've always injected a dose of "personal" on here and somehow I've been compelled to share bits of myself with the readers, now especially for some reason. Seems like this will be a long one, so strap yourself in, we're going on an emotional roller coaster!

   Whoever was here from the beginning (2010, holy crap!) knows what kind of approach I had to this blog. Back then I was some random young dude (in my early twenties) in love with a music genre that was entirely nonexistent in my surroundings and without material means to travel around and go to countries where the gigs were happening. The vast internet space filled with bands and an active blogging community were my window into the music world and I was absolutely captivated by it. I lived and breathed screamo ever since I first downloaded a "Saetia" song (think it was "Endymion") on my horrible 56k internet connection. Numerous bands later, I was so fascinated by the genre that I wanted to give it a special place of my very own, a sort of altar if you will. I was never lucky (or good enough of a bass player actually) to have my own band, so the written word was what I had left. And I behaved accordingly while on here, I wrote with reverence, passion, honesty and without much thinking, it simply flowed out of me. And, to be quite frank, I ended up being proud of myself and thinking that this creative process will be unstoppable.

   Alas, things are not always going according to plan. It's easy to notice on the blog roll that my output started moving to a grinding halt in 2013. The year before slowly started throwing me curve balls which I wasn't ready to catch. During that entire period, I was faced with numerous losses, of friends, of love and, several times, even of life. The reality of my existence within the boundaries of my family was rapidly crumbling. Through some escape routes which I desperately clinged to I managed to additionally fill my life with abuse, depression and even more tragedy. No matter how much I struggled to stay on solid ground I was, in fact, nowhere. Physically I was present (and deteriorating), but mentally and emotionally I was completely drifting away.

   Naturally, somewhere along the way it became almost tormenting to write about anything or to come up with decent, creative material, since I clearly didn't have a peace of mind. It wasn't passion anymore, it was a chore and a part of a now broken, chaotic routine. In the back of my head I kept telling myself all sorts of excuses, that this was (at least, partially) caused by the blogging community dispersing and screamo itself slowly dying, so there was no point to write since nobody will read. In reality, life simply managed to crush something in me.

   Some sparks of my old flame persevered, showing up from time to time. There were signs of life and yet, there still looms a post from 2013 on the front page of this blog. Undeniably I have endured and to me these scattered embers represent my climb out of the sinkhole. My existence is much healthier now, I am still healing and even though the scars are still there and some wounds are fresh, I'm getting out.

   The culmination of everything is that I've also been struggling with the identity of this blog for a while, in terms of what it was, what it currently is and what I want it to be in the future. This place was born out of my infatuation with screamo and my wish to give something back to a community that had my utmost admiration. I wasn't completely lying to myself before, these two things are not what they were before, but they are far from dead. Fact is that there isn't AS MUCH material to write about as there was in previous years and some of those vacant spaces have been filled with other genres and other names. Because of this, I was scared whether or not those "others" deserved a place here or should I simply create a new blog for them. It somehow felt like I would taint the screamo altar which I built. Even though there already are some other genres on here, moving away from the DIY scene seemed to invoke dread of not being true to what this place was. Which is an utter shame, since because of this way of thinking the blog was denied so many good things... I've seen concerts from "Tool", "The Smashing Pumpkins", "Deftones", "The Cure", "Dead Can Dance", "King Dude" and so many other amazing artists who left a mind blowing impression on me which absolutely deserved to be written about. I discovered scores of talented electronic projects, some of which completely annihilated my anxiety with their tunes and whose names should be spread around. Tons and tons of possible album reviews and interviews have been ignored and cancelled, because of my own doubts, lack of direction, peer pressure and constant thinking about whether a thing is "true" enough or not.
   Looking back at all this, part of me gets angry and another one gets sad, yet I can't hide a chuckle as well, since I realize how limiting and crippling that way of thinking was. I have evolved and I think that this blog also deserves a part of this evolution. Nothing will ever be tainted, as long as I remain like I always was, passionate and honest.
   So what does all this gibberish mean? It means that, as long as I am alive and kicking I want to keep this blog active because it still means a lot to me and it always will. All these words might seem silly or overblown to you, but I came to realize that writing here indeed means so much to me. Natures With No Plagues has always been my safe haven (unintentionally, the name turned out quite self-explanatory in a way) and a significant part of my life and who I am and who I am becoming. It has been a catalyst of many real life adventures, fond memories and strong friendships that last to this day (you know who you are!). Ultimately, music saved me many times, as I am sure it will do so in the future as well, and this is my praise and recognition of it.

   Moving forward, I'll do my best to write about the music I deem worthy, regardless of the shackles of genre. Screamo will forever hold an immense part of my musical being, but there are others worthy of standing side by side with it. Even though it might take some time to start doing interviews and collaborations again, rest assured that I will certainly head in that direction. There is much to do on here and I plan on taking it slowly, this post being the first small step. In those regards, one recent noteworthy change is the small section on the left, a list of gigs where you might encounter me. If you happen to be on any of those gigs, feel free to get in touch, would love to hang out with you all.

   Last, but absolutely not the least... thank you. Yes, you. Thank you for reading this and for being with me on this journey. I am sincerely grateful to all of you, for all your time spent on here and for all the comments left to me. To all the people who bumped into me on gigs and said hi or who had an opinion (positive or negative) regarding my work. To anyone who ever donated. To every band who ever showed any kind of interest in being hosted here. To the things and people who tried to break me, but who ended up making me stronger. To anyone and everyone. Thank you. This isn't for you.

TL;DR: Emotional wall of text. Life can be horrible, but music and passion can heal all wounds. Old/current blog content going through clean-up, new content (screamo+other various genres) coming. Thank you (!!!) to everyone who has ever supported me on here. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND NEVER LET THE BASTARDS GET YOU DOWN.

Festival report: Rockmaraton 2019, day three

I'm back, this time not in black, but with some black! This previous weekend I've attended a, for me predominantly black, metal festival in Hungary and have decided to finally sit myself down and write something on here. The bands which I saw on this occasion are listed below and I'll let you try and figure out which group made me want to pull the trigger and travel so desperately into the deep clutches of Hungary:

- Perihelion

- Carach Angren

- Mgła

You guessed it...

To kick this review off, let's talk a little bit about the fest itself. Rockmaraton is an annual festival in Hungary which brings together a huge list of performers from every corner of the world of metal and an even bigger score of dedicated fans. The range of bands goes from US-based hardcore "Terror" to the legendary "Paradise Lost", the progressive hit of "Jinjer", the good ol' classic "Soulfly" and all the way from Russia the "Siberian Meat Grinder" powerhouse and many, many more. This impressive list of artists was arranged over a 5-day long festival, although yours truly cherry-picked only a single day to visit.
This year the festival was located on the Szalki-Sziget island in Dunaújváros, some 70km southeast from Budapest. To be completely honest, it was a real endeavor to locate and travel there since the trip involved a 6 hour van ride, an hour and a half train ride, taking a local bus to... well, somewhere and then walking a few kilometers. Despite the "hardships", I was insanely excited about this trip, since I missed the get down and dirty way of travelling where you have everything packed on your back, when you're on the road for 7+ hours, when you sleep (if at all) on painfully hard ground cause you didn't bring a soft enough mat... but fuck it, you're doing it cause you want to sacrifice 2 days of your life just to see that one band you love.

At the end of the long journey you are greeted by a wonderful little island housing the festival. Four stages, several tents with various other activities (among which was one where you could get corpse paint done!), numerous food and drink stands, an official band merch shop, several wide camping areas and even a large swimming area in the surrounding Danube river, all of these are situated around the spacious grounds of the island. Getting from where we set up camp close to the entrance of the festival towards the farthest stage is a rather nice, long walk.

"Perihelion" was the first band of the day that I managed to dedicate my full attention to. This Hungarian post metal quartet caught my ear with loud, piercing, semi-clean vocals which stood out in the midst of a massive, rolling avalanche of sound produced by the instrumental section. I was instantly hooked by this strong vocal/instrumental contrast which persisted during their entire set, the divergence growing into high impact crescendos at the end of each song. There are moments where the singer would break free from the gentle, droning melody and burst out screaming his lungs out (ah!) and you, as the listener, just get completely swept away. I did a bit of research on them after the festival and have stumbled on their bandcamp page (which you can visit here) on a description of their album "Örvény" (meaning "Maelstrom" in Hungarian) and it is absolutely accurate: "[album] is to be interpreted as a single journey with its seven songs seamlessly woven into each other... [lyrics] revolve around dreamlike passages towards the subconscious." Couldn't have said it better myself. Definitely check them out!

"Carach Angren" was next in line and this band was hyped by my travelling companion, who saw them live on a previous occasion. "Trust me, they are fun," was all I've been told and it's hard to imagine a black metal act being "fun", in a literal sense of the word. Needless to say I was utterly surprised in the most pleasant way possible! The symphonic black metal trio (a quartet on this occasion) from the Netherlands put up an amazing performance which is certainly memorable. Maybe some of my readers remember how mind blown I was by the stunning "Cattle Decapitation" show which I covered here and pretty much the same amount of exploding brain matter can be applied here. My, oh my, where to begin? It is hard to decide what to write about first, since both the instruments and the vocals are amazing on their own and are absolutely worth the praise, but the sheer beauty and brutality when the two are mixed together is astonishing! It has been a long while since I saw the two sections compliment each other so much, both in an audio and in a visual respect. Audibly, this band is a cacophony of pure black metal savagery wrapped in veil of symphonic insanity, yet precisely cut by maddening technical start-stop rhythms. Visually, they are a rush of blood to the head caused by flickering lights and a plethora of nonstop movement which your eyes are trying to soak up. The band as a whole are a sight to behold, but the singer absolutely takes the cake. An insanely talented showman holding the crowd in the palm of his hand, mesmerizing with constant movements which were somehow precisely in tune with the sounds coming from the instruments, something that it is truly impossible to explain without you actually seeing it for yourself.

Important to note is that the band had some technical difficulties during their show (which was in no way on their part), yet despite that they still managed to keep the crowd standing on the top of their toes, hungry for more. The band would simply continue blasting away after those small breaks, not losing a single drop of momentum. If you haven't figured out the bottom of the line, it's simply "just go and see them live, if you can." Maybe they are not your cup of tea, but even then you're in for a performance worth remembering! They have a load of material on their repertoire, so check them out and support them on their website found here.

"Mgła". "Fog" in Polish and rightfully named so, as it managed to cloud a score of other bands that I've been listening to for years before discovering them. They were evading my radar for an extended period of time since their formation in the early 2000's (well, that is if you count the demos or the first EP in 2006; 2012 if you count when they actually started to perform live), but once I heard their "Exercises in Futility" album back in 2015 I was swallowed whole. This was THE band, that one act that you discover once in some years which immediately sticks and it's there to stay. The evocation of misanthropic feelings borne out of human negligence and greed, wrapped in the tones of desperate soundscapes, the nihilism and the poetry, the noises of untamed rage and the painful ache of silence ending it all. All the while adorned in visual aesthetics which would make Tolkien's Nazgul envious. "Mgła" was a beast and I was spreading my arms towards it, prepared and willing to be devoured. 
The wish to see them perform live was instantly born, yet I've been unlucky with that endeavor ever since 2015. On one occasion, my trip got postponed and I wasn't in town for the gig. On another, the concert I targeted was sold out in a matter of days. So when I saw Rockmaraton adding their name to the lineup I knew that this was it, now or never.

In the end, it was now and the moment was staggering. Darkness crept on stage that faithful night on the 11th of July and four hooded figures emerged from its depths. "Exercises in Futility I" exploded through the venue and there was simply no way to escape the audio/visual onslaught which ensued. "Mgła" were vicious and relentless in their attack on all the senses of the crowd. "Exercises in Futility IV", "Mdłości II", "With Hearts Toward None I", "Exercises in Futility II", "Groza III", they all lined up and melded into one huge unstoppable wave which continuously crashed down on us. It was superbly chaotic and powerful, yet at the same time remarkable how much I could simply feel all the qualities and sensations which I loved and respected on their recordings. At the same time, it was visually pleasing to see them in the flesh at last, black figures staring back at you with nothing but abysmal darkness underneath their hoods, an almost nietzschean perspective. It proves a good point, in fact, that none of this is about them, it doesn't matter who the people behind the hoods are, it doesn't matter who you and me are, it's purely about the music and the words screamed towards you and the message and meaning which they convey. This blissful chaos lasted for an exciting long hour and the ending of "Exercises in Futility VI" brought their set to a close, a perfect conclusion to a mind bending experience which left me thoroughly trembling when the final tone died.

"...As if all this was something more than another footnote on a postcard from nowhere, 

another chapter in the handbook for exercises in futility..."

Similarly to what I commented on "Carach Angren", the band had difficulty setting up prior to the set and it was apparent that they had a hard time to get their instruments in tune with the venue, which definitely left a mark on their "quality" during the show. From my experience, I'd fault the event space and not the band on this. Regardless of the issues, I still consider this "Mgła" show to be one of the highlights of this year's concert list, but it definitely left me hungry for more, since I believe that hearing them on their own solo concert would be a much more spectacular event. Patiently I shall wait for another opportunity. Until then, you can get in touch and support them here.

That is it for now, hope you enjoyed this brief festival report. I'm in the mood where I'm rather starved for writing more and there's so much to write about, so hopefully I'll update the blog again sooner rather than later. Until then, blessed be.

Gig review: City of Caterpillar, Unable To Fully Embrace This Happiness

  

   I'm free to guess that you are utterly surprised to see a new post on this blog, the same as I am surprised that I actually got a chance to see "City of Caterpillar" live. Lame intros aside, I've been having this blog on my mind at an alarming amount recently and what better way to kick it up from the dead than with a legendary screamo band which was also believed to be dead ages ago.

   Can't actually recall when I saw that "CoC" will do a reunion show...somewhere in May or so? Basically the second I saw that they are going to come as close to me as Vienna I started planning a trip to the Austrian capitol city. I was in such utter shock that they are coming that I didn't even stop to think which day they are playing, how I'll get there, can I take days off from work, nothing. Just had to be there since this seemed so unreal. Even when I planned everything out and when I was finally standing in the venue that evening, it kinda felt unreal to be there and to see such an important band. Honestly, I think I wasn't even aware what kind of spectacle was going to unfold before me because it really felt dreamy, to say the least.

   But I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. First and foremost let's talk about the setting. The show occurred on July 20th at a place called "Venster99". Located near one of the metro stations of the city the place is everything you would wish for from a badass punk locale. Small and somehow cozy, decorated with tons of graffiti and posters, and more importantly loud speakers that will make your ears bleed. It's also shaped rather strangely since it's located literally under a narrow metro line bridge, so the venue is kinda squeezed and elongated. It might seem too small at first, but once you move around it a little bit there's pretty much room for everyone. And I really have to give praise to the few strategically placed doors present in the place, since standing in a room full of people on a hot summer evening would be unbearable without the air flow they provide. So good job with that. You can check out the venue for yourself here.

   I sadly managed to miss the first opening act, mostly because I'm retarded and have decided to go find the venue without a map and with no internet on my phone... sigh. So please do yourself a favor and come prepared, the venue is easily located if you know where to look.

   And thus the band that kicked this evening off for me was "Unable To Fully Embrace This Happiness". This young trio from Klagenfurt, Austria formed in 2015, if I did my homework right. They seem pretty active as far as recording goes, since they already have four releases under their name. Well, technically they have three, the fourth one is a compilation of their previous work, but still it is rather impressive for such a short span of time. And let me tell you this, these guys pack a punch! Fast, furious and beautifully chaotic, they reminded me of something like "Louise Cyphre", "Tristan Tzara" or "Shikari". Raw and noisy, just the way we like it here! The venue burst up with this crazy, shredding, pounding sound which was constantly followed by truly passionate movement from the band, making it a real enjoyment to watch them play. I especially liked the vocals, reminded me a bit of "Phasma Phasmatis" at some points. Definitely check them out, even better if you can catch them live. They are actually playing at Venster99 again this week (16th of August), try not to miss out! You can take a listen to them here or give them a like on their FB page here. 

   A little anecdote though, the vocalist/guitarist of the band approached me before they played to ask me something about the shirt I was wearing that evening, obviously I realized that he was from the band when they actually started playing. So if you're reading this, hi! I'm the guy in "The Pine" shirt.

    This is the part of the review where I literally got stuck and I couldn't continue writing for a good week or so. An absolute writer's block, until I decided to just put my thoughts on paper in the plainest way possible. This show was fucking phenomenal. So, here we go.
   Seriously though, these guys blew me away. Ever since I first heard their record (the self-titled release, I believe) they were on a whole different level from the rest of their peers and simply stating that they created some kind of post-rock/post-hardcore/screamo concoction just doesn't do justice, at least in my mind. There is something about the eerie mood, the frantic singing and screaming and whining, the mesmerizing and hypnotizing tones that just says "City of Caterpillar". They created such an utterly unique sound that no other band ever dared to come close and I think never will.
   This is also why I didn't write a proper introduction for them here, because you all know them. If you know the name, you know the band and you know the sound. All you need is to hear their name and boom, you hear those atmospheric and crazy guitar riffs in your head. You don't even have to put their songs on to get dragged into the city of caterpillar, you're already there just by thinking about it.
   But now imagine hearing and feeling those tones being played live. Trust me, whatever you imagine, it's nowhere near the actual physical experience. I tried to imagine this gig so many times prior to that evening and whatever I came up with just didn't cut it in the end. They managed to beat every single expectation I had by such a large margin that it makes it so hard to describe.
   Every time when I would listen to "When Was the Last Time We Painted Over the Blood on the Walls?" I tried to envision what it would be like to get stricken live by that buzzing, spastic intro and that beautifully epic and melancholic bridge. I simply wasn't ready for those emotions that evening. Even now I get goosebumps remembering how they masterfully performed this piece, the sound being so gigantic and unreal, swallowing the entire venue and the crowd with it. With every single song they managed to strike a specific chord in me and leave me in awe. "A Little Change Could Go A Long Ways", "Maybe They'll Gnaw Right Through", "An Innocent Face", these are just some of the songs they played that night. Each song was played flawlessly, as if ripped from the record itself, but performed with insane amounts of passion.
   Again the writer's block returns since there's just no way to explain the awesomeness. I could probably go on and on and on praising them, but it would probably get boring for you at some point. You get the point by now. I always loved their work and this show put a final seal on that appreciation. I sincerely hope that the members of "City of Caterpillar" are aware that it is because of bands like them that the genre was/is so special and I'd like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for years of amazing and inspirational music.

   And in the end, completely unrelated to this review, I'd just like to let the people reading this know that I have several other gigs that I attended and am planning to review, so stay tuned!

Gig review: Agalloch, Crown

First review to resurrect this blog and what an event it was! I bought tickets for this gig way back in April and ever since then I was just sitting on needles with excitement. At first I was scared that I will miss yet another "Agalloch" tour and I was very well prepared to travel to see them no matter how far the gig would be. Luckily, by some twist of fate, they came as close as Hungary and it just became apparent that I will finally be able to attend their show. The experience ended up nothing short of perfect.

This amazing lineup performed in "Dürer Kert", a venue in Budapest, Hungary. The venue has already been mentioned before in a few reviews, those being Rosetta and La Dispute/Touche Amore gigs. Despite the fact that I was at that place before, it feels like the venue keeps growing and changing every time I visit. On this occasion the bands were playing in a different room, this one being much bigger than the previous one I saw. A rather simple rectangle-shaped room with a bar to the right, a big merch table to the left and a stage covering the entirety of the far side of the room. It is perfectly spaced and somehow you are able to see everything so well, regardless of where you are standing. This is especially made possible due to the fact that on both the left and right side of the stage there are some sort of steps which are a little elevated, so you can easily stand there and have full view of the crowd and the bands. 

Speaking of visibility, the light is dim, but just enough for you to see everything with ease and not walk over people or bump into things. The stage lights were beautifully toned blue and red colors, depending on the band which was on stage at the time, which really set an awesome mood for both acts.

Last, but not least, I have to praise the sound and the acoustics of the place. Even when you are not wearing ear plugs, the sound is extremely clear and you can easily distinguish every little detail of a given song. I had plugs for the majority of the sets, but at one instance I removed them and I was just mind-blown by the purity of the sound. 

But okay, now we get to the though part, the show itself. I don't know if it's hard to find the right words because I haven't been to a gig in a long time, because I didn't write for you boys and girls for so long, or simply because this concert was so damn amazing. Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy what is about to ensue.

First in line was "Crown", a band hailing from France. Ah dear France, an indisputable European heaven where insanely good bands keep growing and constantly push the limits of your expectations. Whoever reads this blog even a little will know how much respect I have for this part of the world when it comes to music and this band just fits into that category oh so well. This project was born back in 2011 when they were a two-man project, or as they like to call it "man machine" since there's also a secretive third member in the form of a rhythm-machine. During their performance in Budapest they also had one more band member, so I'm fairly certain that they have evolved into a trio/quartet in recent years. 

The light on the stage became blood red and "Crown" took the stage, unleashing a beast bearing just a colossal tidal wave of sound which is just so damn hard to classify. At first you get hit hard with heavy riffs, even heavier drops and breakdowns, shrieking vocals and just overall massiveness of their tunes that can easily jump into the sludge/industrial genre. But then, all of a sudden, comes a brooding melody which creates some very doom-like ambiance all around you with slow eerie tones and melancholic humming. One might argue after reading this description that they sound like any other post-metal/sludge/doom band, but trust me that you're so very wrong. 

The vastness of their sound keeps expanding. I remember they played the song called "The Words You Speak Are Not Your Own" and it just blew me away with how diverse their sound was. There's this amazing apocalyptic melody making you stand on edge with tension before it finally explodes into your face with a sound so heavy it washes over you. The song is sprinkled with audio samples which immediately reminded me of stuff we got to hear on "Seeing Means More Than Safety" from "Jeromes Dream", a fact that basically made me fall in love almost instantly with what "Crown" is doing. 

Yet the vastness of their sound doesn't stop there. Some elements produced by their machine member are just superb in their own right. Aside of the crushing tones it spews forth, there are certain instances where it sounds all too electronic, like something that would come out from mixing "Access to Arasaka" and "Nine Inch Nails". 

Taking all these little bits and pieces and mashing them all up, the crowd was served with an amazing cocktail of 30 minutes of audio bliss. The mania of two passionate, shredding guitars, a deep, vibrating bass line, ever-changing vocals and a cold, calculated  and destructive machine just leaves you stunned. Their sound is completely different to that of "Agalloch", but it set the mood in such a great fashion that I couldn't have asked for a better support band. France, you've did it again. I definitely urge everyone to check these guys out, which you can do on their bandcamp profile here and get in touch with them on their Facebook page here.

There was a small break after "Crown" finished and my excitement was reaching a boiling point. At this moment I was just too thrilled to function properly and I was in no way prepared for what happened next. Getting closer to the huge speakers before the band came up I noticed that there was a big wooden log placed at the center of the stage, as well as a banner of a coiled serpent which adorned the platform. From then on the mood and the setting just kept intensifying. Light turned cold blue, smoke filled the background and small pots of incense were lit, sending out a calming, woodland aroma. Four figures climbed the stage in dim, misty lighting and the journey began.

What is there to say now, since "Agalloch" really needs no introduction. If by some abysmally unfortunate event you don't know about this band just stop what you're doing, stop reading my gibberish and do yourself a favor and listen to their work. This quartet formed way back in 1995 in Portland, Oregon and for a strong 20 year period they have been spawning amazing pieces of work in which they combine elements of black metal, neofolk and doom, inspired by the wondrous, cold reaches of Cascadia, or the Pacific Northwest if you will. There are simply no proper words for me to use to describe their work and to give it proper justice, since every little piece of sound they gave to the world has ended up being something of a masterpiece. Go listen to their discography and you will see what I mean. 

But back to the gig. The sounds of "(serpens caput)" filled the room with the same subtlety with which the above mentioned mist crept around the stage. It felt like the ambiance changed. We weren't standing in "Dürer Kert" anymore, but some ancient forest guarding aeon old secrets unspoiled by human hands. The melody was so pure and entrancing that the sudden transition towards the aggressive and fast "The Astral Dialogue" completely caught you off guard. Now, I have to be honest, although I knew the band released their newest creation last year, that being the album called "The Serpent & The Sphere", I didn't listen to it prior to the show. I'm not so sure why, possibly because my hopes about the music world have been turned to fears due to the lack of good material in recent times, so I was scared of a possible disappointment with the album. Hang me right now, because I was so wrong to doubt these people. Every millisecond of sound they created that evening was superb and the new, unknown songs just instantly grasped my love. The new material was everything I could hope for and even far beyond that. "Vales Beyond Dimension" was played soon afterwards and it just sealed the deal for me. 

I do have to say that listening to "The Serpent & The Sphere" now at home has a little different sort of feel than the rest of their material, which I mostly contribute to the production and technical aspects of the album. This is in no way bad, since it provides you with a different kind of experience, kind of stepping away from the clear, polished version of "Agalloch" and instead adding a little more of a raw kind of ambiance and possible rawer emotions.

They stepped away from the latest album for a bit and just exploded with "Limbs". Simply
remembering those first tones gives me goosebumps and now when I listen to it I have a newly found love for it. Flawless execution and just sheer passion with which they played made this just an emotional whirlwind. They transitioned towards "Ghosts of the Midwinter Fires" and just... damn. When I was writing the review, I had to step away for a little while and recollect myself because I have such a hard time explaining what happened to me at this point and I'll just be brutally honest. In all my time when I would think about "Agalloch" I always imagined that I would most likely cry if they would end up playing "Falling Snow", since this is my favorite song, but this exact thing happened to me when they played "Ghosts...". The intensity with which they performed the song, the sheer unexpectedness of the song being played at all, managed to take me back a few years back into my life and remind me of certain personal emotions which go along with this song. And it just crushed me. I never had teary eyes during a show, but there I was, basically crying yet feeling like the happiest person alive. This plain fact is more than enough to tell you how much this show and this band mean to me.

After this positive mental breakdown more songs were played, each better than the last. "Dark Matter Gods", "Hallways of Enchanted Ebony" (which by the way also made me cry), "...And The Great Cold Death of The Earth" rang through the venue, moving the crowd and evoking all kinds of emotions. The band itself seemed so swept away with the very tunes they themselves were creating, since you could simply see how passionately they move and react. There was just no stopping, no time to back down and take a breath, as if the entire set was just one world shattering epic unfolding right in front of your eyes and ears and body. "Into the Painted Grey" was the last song left ringing almost endlessly as they moved away from the stage.

But it wasn't over yet. They came back, ripping "Falling Snow" through the crowd. As I said before, I was almost certain that I would shed so many tears during this piece for various reasons. Just thinking about the lyrics and the melodies makes me shiver, simply creating a masterfully woven scene of death, desolation and passing. Yet hearing it live made me feel something different and unique, something I'll never forget. 

"The snow has fallen

And raised this white mountain

On which you will die

And fade away in silence..."

The ending moments which ensued after the final pieces of the lyrical section have been released into the air took all of those negative feelings I had and just threw me into something I can't really explain. The song just moved me so much in ways I can't explain and I simply felt alive. And I felt happy. Up to this point, I wasn't sure if I'll even write a review here and resurrect my blog, but the experience which they created for me with this song removed all those doubts and gave me a strange sense of purpose and determination. If "Agalloch" ever gets to read this, you guys are the sole reason why my writing is alive again. And for that, I thank you.

The last encore song was "Plateau of the Ages", but at this point the state of bliss and nirvana I had in my body was still keeping me in some far away place and I wasn't truly there for the ending song. Despite my semi-absence, the song was performed perfectly and a long, chaotic improvised outro was an amazing finisher to an otherwise mind-blowing show.

After it was all said and done, the band members were walking through the crowd, talking to people and giving away autographs and I felt honored to be able to shake their hands and give a huge thank you to them. This has to be one of the most amazing and emotionally intense shows I have ever attended and the memories will be forever sealed in my heart.

I'd just like to give a special thank you to my dear friend who accompanied me on this epic journey, since if I came alone and without her I probably wouldn't have had as nearly as much fun. It was amazing sharing this therapeutic experience with her and hopefully we will conquer more roads  and shows together.

Hope you enjoyed the review! It's good to be back.

Cancelled show

Sadly, due to a certain amount of reasons, the "Deuil" and "Paramnesia" gig had to be cancelled. It was a last minute decision, but it had to happen, since May Day is a really bad time for a show here. I'll leave the gig announcement post just for archive's sake.

Gig announcement: Deuil, Paramnesia CANCELLED

This is an unexpected gig announcement post, but it came to be here in an extremely subtle manner. Recently I was contacted by "Deuil" regarding a potential record review and, as we were discussing things, they mentioned that they also have a show in Belgrade. As it turns out, a day later I realize that this gig is booked by "Resetor bookings & promotion", so here we are now.

"Deuil", a quartet hailing from Belgium, already started dragging their brooding black metal imbued sludge/doom across Europe with this eight day tour. Along them will be "Paramnesia", a raw black metal project coming from dark parts of France. You can check these two bands out, if you dare, on the following links here and here.

These two bands plan on unleashing a grim performance in Belgrade on 1 May 2013 in "Club Fest", starting at 9:30 PM. At the moment, there is a tiny possibility that "Resetor" will manage to add  some local support, but this is yet to be announced. Entry fee into the void will be a mere 2 euros. Don't miss out on this! In case you do, expect a gig review and, later on, a review of a record released by "Deuil".

Interview: Agrimonia

As I promised yesterday, here is an interview making way for a more regularly updated blog and what an opener it is! "Agrimonia", one of the unstoppable beasts holding the throne of the doom/epic crust genre, recently emerged from a period of silence with a new album and they are ready to send ripples through the underground scene across the globe. Scroll down below and read about "Rites of Separation", the band's past experiences and what the future holds.

1. Hey there! First of all, I'd like to thank you for taking your time and doing this interview! Please, introduce yourself and the rest of the band.

Pontus: Hi! I'm Pontus, playing guitar and doing backing vocals. In addition to myself we also have Björn on drums, Christina on vocals and keys, Magnus on guitar and Martin on bass. 

2. The band is together for a fine number of years now, so please give us a brief history of how it all looked like at the beginning.

Pontus: We started out in early 2005 something, and the plan was simply to do something heavy. I'm also a sucker for melodies and dynamics, so that found its way into the music as well.  We spent that year finding our sound really, writing, re-writing until we had our first song that we were really happy with.  That's "The Decay" from our first album. We also didn't get a steady bass player until 2006. We did our first live show, found a new drummer in Björn and then recorded the first album in 2007. After that we've done a couple tours, released more records, Martin joined the band on bass. Now were having our 3rd album "Rites of Separation" coming out on Southern Lord records this April.

  

3. In one interview I read with Christina, she explained the meaning of the word "Agrimonia" which is actually a plant. How did you pick out that name and how well do you think it describes your music?

Christina: A friend of ours came up with the name. I like the name cause it is a bit dark and mysterious and I think that fits with the music we play.

  

4. Your self-titled release from 2008 came out having a very interesting mixture of genres. What managed to inspire you the most to formulate your sound in such a way?

Pontus: I think it's just a mix of the stuff you like yourself. It was never our goal to mix genres or anything I think our songs and ideas flow together though, with a connecting vibe through it all. So it all came very naturally as soon as we started getting our songs together.

  

5. "Host of the Winged" was yet another powerful assault to the scene and again you succeeded to bring out something unique. How do you feel about the advancement of your sound over those two records? Do you think it is a natural evolution or do you actually try to add something new to each release?

 

Pontus: It's very much a natural evolution. We never think too much about what we're gonna do. I guess the songs were becoming a bit more elaborate with "Host of the Winged", I had a lot of ideas with the music. But we didn't want to take it further in that direction, we don't want the music to be too technical or complex. There should still be a groove and flow. For this new album, I think we scaled down a little bit of that, letting ideas go on for a little longer. That might have been a somewhat conscious decision actually. But it's no difference in our mindset or approach to making music.

  

6. After that release you went to tour in Mexico and the USA. Tell me something more about that experience.

Pontus: That was my first time going on tour in North America. We had a great time, played with great bands and met great people! We just went for 2 weeks, playing the US west coast and also one show in Mexico. We wanna go back this year and play our new stuff, and stay for longer this time! 

7. After a brief tour over Germany in 2011 the band went into hibernation of sorts. I was even scared you broke up! What exactly happened to the band in that period between the said tour and entering the studio yet again?

Christina: I got really sick after an operation that went wrong in 2011. I was in the hospital for months and they tried to fix me up, I was really in a bad state. My stomach muscles were cut and I had to leave the hospital with what they call an "open stomach". They didn´t want to close me up cause of infection risks and other reasons. They transferred skin from my thigh and put it over the hole in the stomach and then just left it like that for a year to heal. It was difficult for me to use my stomach muscles and I really need them for singing. We had to cancel lots of shows and other plans during this time. I was sometimes too sick to do anything and lots of operations followed. But now I am as good as I am gonna get and happy it is all over.

  

8. In the meantime, you signed with "Southern Lord", so I'm curious how did this collaboration come to pass?

Pontus: My other band "Martyrdöd" got a deal with Southern Lord in 2011. So I simply approached them and asked if they wanted to work with "Agrimonia" as well!

  

9. You've been in the studio working on a new album since September 2012 and there is already a song being streamed on the "Pitchfork" website. How did the proces of creating this new record go? Any interesting behind-the-scene stories about it?

Pontus: When we did our 2nd album, "Host of the Winged", we didn't really rehearse the songs. It was very much a studio creation. This had much to do with that I lived pretty far away from everyone else during that period, in Bergen, Norway. This time we wanted to actually rehearse the songs. So most of the album was written by Summer 2012, then we just rehearsed the songs for a couple of months. I think rehearsing can be a bit redundant, but I think you can really tell it did a lot of good for this album. We recorded the drums in two November days in Welfare Sounds in Gothenburg, then spent the rest of the year recording the rest at our rehearsal space. Then early 2013 we mixed it at Studio Fredman. It's definately the best sounding record we've done.

  

10. In a narrative and lyrical sense, what is the story that "Rites of Separation" will tell the listener?

Christina: Like all other "Agrimonia" albums, lyrically this album is about our daily life and the good and the bad sides of it. About problems we are facing as individuals and as a group. The lyrics are a way for me to tell a story in a poetic way but still take a stand.

  

11. Musically, what type of sound can we expect on the new release? Are you holding on to your roots or are you trying something new?

Pontus: We're not really trying anything new, it's very much an "Agrimonia" album. Although I feel this is our hardest album so far. Also in my opinion Christina's vocal performance is her best ever!

  

12. Any solid plans about what you will be doing after the album is out in April? Touring perhaps?

Pontus: No solid plans yet. We have a few shows booked, but no tour. We really want to do something this fall though, so let's see what happens.

  

13. Who or what is the main driving force of "Agrimonia", both individually and as a band? What makes you tick and what motivates you to create music?

Christina: For me it is my friends and the people around me that makes music and try to tell a story and fight for a better way of life. They motivate me. I also really get inspired by fierce and awesome women making music and other art forms and not caring about what anyone tells them they can and can not do.

Pontus: The music is a personal outlet initially. Then when more people take part, and when people appreciate it, it grows bigger. It's a very rewarding experience. That said, I'd probably still write those riffs even if I didn't have a band to use them in.

  

14. Which song from "Agrimonia" means the most to you? And, if you were only a fan, which album would be your favorite?

Christina: Lyrically for me it is "The Battle Fought" from "Rites of Separation".

Pontus: I can't pick one song. For me it's more about some parts, some riffs or melodies. I can recall where and when I wrote it and always get reminded about that place in life when I hear that certain melody again. As a fan, well I can't really say anything else than our new album!

  

15. Time for you to ask a question! 

Stefan, what made you start a blog? And how is life and the underground scene is Serbia?

I've always been passionate about music and there was a constant wish to get involved with it somehow. Sadly, I was never lucky enough to have a band, aside of a few short lived projects, so making a blog was a solid second step, especially since writing is also a huge passion of mine.

Life is quite hard in Serbia, especially when you see how the people in the rest of Europe live. My girlfriend lives in the Netherlands, so when you compare the ways of living in these two countries you come to a horrid result. I think this really reflects on the underground scene, so the bands we have here tend to be quite grim with their lyrics and mood. Not a lot of them manage to go beyond the borders of the country and overall I feel like the scene is not as tightly knit as it should be. Serbia needs to do a lot of work to be able to match the diy spirit of the rest of the world. Still, foreign bands tend to pass through and they seem to love it here!

  

16. 2012 is far behind us, but I am curious to hear your favorite band releases of that year? Any recommendations for the readers?

Christina: "Black September" - "Into the darkness into the void", "Martyrdöd - "Paranoia", "Vicious Irene" - "Distorted state of mind", "Embers"- "Shadows" and all the re-releases of the "Bolt Thrower" records.

Pontus: "Dinosaur Jr" - "I Bet on Sky", "Om" – "Advaitic songs" and "Kent" - "Jag är inte rädd för mörkret".

  

17. Aside of playing in "Agrimonia", are band members involved with some other music projects?

Christina: I am in "Contorture", Magnus and Björn are in "Radiation", Pontus and Björn are in "Miasmal", Pontus is in "Martyrdöd" and Martin is in "At the Gates", "Vrak" and "Skitsystem".

18. Similar question to the previous one, do you have any hobbies outside the boundries of music?

Christina: Im really into photography and gardening.

Pontus: Reading, movies and bus rides between Oslo and Gothenburg.

  

19. That wraps it up! In the end, I have to thank you again for this lengthy interview, it was a pleasure. Any final message for the blog?

Pontus: Thanks to you! All the best for the future! Check out "Rites of Separation" when it comes out. Cheers!

The last time we talked

I was away from the blog for some time due to taking a short break from life, so things have been slow here. During the break however, I received a bunch of really cool submissions which I'm looking forward to sharing with you, so you all have something to look forward to. 

From tomorrow on there will be more regular updates on the blog, grandly opening with an interview which I have been dying to receive for a while now. Definitely check back tomorrow evening, stay tuned!

The Canyon Observer - Chapter II: These Binds Will Set You Free (2012)

The reason for my longish absence is the fact that I've been preparing a number of interviews for the blog and I was pretty much expecting them to be finished rather fast. Alas, the questions ended up being sent in times when the interviewees were rather busy, so I am still waiting for their replies. This ended up being a bad decision on my part, waiting for so long without doing anything else on here, but it makes me content knowing that the said interviews will be an interesting read for all of you. Hopefully in the mean time you didn't forget about this blog in the first place!

"The Canyon Observer" takes the stage here today. This is a band you previously had the chance to read about way back in November 2011 when I reviewed the first chapter of their record series. The Slovenian quintet is still pulsing with energy, slamming us yet again with a very powerful release. Ever since their previous outlet, the band has been quite active as far as concerts go, playing an impressive number of gigs throughout various countries in Europe. One might say that this project is definitely a force that can't be stopped.

In case you missed my previous write-up regarding this band, you can check it out here. It is surely worth a peek, due to the fact that "The Canyon Observer" went through a whole lot of growing when compared to their last outlet. Their sound remained within the boundaries of the post metal/post rock/sludge genre, but they somehow matured and solidified their own style.

Their previous "chapter" was adorned with excellent execution and was very characteristic with having quite a bit of resemblance to "Isis". That trait was surely not considered as a flaw, especially given that the mentioned band ceased to exist and the Slovenians were a top ranking project worthy of the abandoned throne. I liked that release very much and have considered it a form with which the band displayed its talents and capabilities. 

Fast forward one year later and witness this beast being unleashed. What is transferred onto this new chapter is definitely the band's technical aspect, but all else shines under a different light. In one year time, the band managed to shape an excellent stylistic form which absolutely nullifies your chances to  blatantly compare them with another band. 

Their new style of composition, and above all mood, is dirtier, yet at the same time that much elegant. The atmosphere became darker with slow and tormenting buildups followed by epic, world-shattering, crescendos. Instrumental sections lay low and eerie, just massing up tension until they explode into your ears with incredible detonating power. Vocals ceased to have their previous calming and soothing tone, now being replaced with trance-like wailing and maddening shrieks. 

As you can see with just a brief summary, the overall shape of the music is different than what they previously made, but staying close to their parent genre. It is enough for the listener to just hear the first song, "Part I: As We Surrender To Lust", and you can immediately sense what I'm talking about. Add to that the fact that the opening song consumes your attention entirely and the rest of the record simply doesn't let you walk away until it is done spinning. Or well, a couple of spins. 

"Chapter II" comes in CD format. Same as its predecessor, this release has a minimalist design although quite dark and corresponding well with the overall mood of the music. "Kapa Records" was once again the label with which the band collaborated. Thus far, there have been three other reviews discussing releases from this record label, so it seems that we are building up a really nice relationship. Either way, you can grab this release on the "Kapa Records" bandcamp page, found here. Don't be scared to check out other bands hosted there, you won't regret it.

I definitely have to say that "The Canyon Observer" displayed an impressive fit of audio growth and evolution, making this release a huge step forward for the project. An outlet of this caliber makes me wonder what kind of monster they are brewing for the future. I truly hope the band stays active as much as it has been thus far, since at this pace they will surely never disappoint. Check them out and I hope you enjoyed the read!

Gig announcement: Coma Stereo, Kriške

A somewhat late gig announcement, but better late than never! "Resetor booking & promotions" once again rolled up their sleeves and decided to host an awesome evening. This event is scheduled for 17 March 2013 in "Club Fest", Belgrade.

This time the Belgrade crowd needs to get prepared for an exciting cosmic voyage with "Coma Stereo", a space rock/experimental quartet from Slovenia. Last year in April you had the chance to read a review I did for this band, sharing my thoughts about their album called "1000 Mest" which came out earlier that year in February. In case you missed that write-up, head on over here to check it out!

Local support will come in the form of "Kriške", or "slices" in Serbian, hailing from Belgrade. This four-year old project brings a whole spectrum of sounds, mixing indie, no-wave, noise and rock (and roll) into their wall of sound. Get ready and check them out on their facebook page found here.

Doors are open at 9pm with an entry fee of 4 euros. For more information about the event, check out the following page here. See you there!