Long have we kept open minds here at Meat Mead Metal, and there have been numerous instances where we brought you something that didn’t exactly scream “metal!” on the surface but certainly could connect with members of our readership who also have wide-open intellectual borders. Today, we have another.

I got an e-mail about Pinkish Black from Handmade Birds’ R. Loren several weeks back, and to say the sentiment behind the message was unbridled enthusiasm would be a bit of an understatement. So, knowing what I know about the type of music the label releases, I dug in right away and was blown off my ass by what I heard. I have developed an affinity for early New Wave music courtesy of my wife, and I’ve always had a soft spot for deathrock and dreary doom rock that go perfectly with an overcast rainy day. Pinkish Black have all of that, but they contain something else: a sinister underbelly. There is a mopeyness to what they do — and I mean that as a big compliment — but also a threat that dark feelings may turn bloody. They’re a ticking time bomb filled with nails.

Now, having the full record at my disposal, I was able to go even deeper into this murk, and what I found was a synthy, noisy, potentially violent document that could trouble the emotionally turbulent among us. I don’t get the sense these songs came from a particularly sunny frame of mind. Quite the opposite, actually. And what I discovered on this self-titled album is that this Denton, Texas, duo may have created this music to achieve some kind of catharsis or mental breakthrough, because it sure seems to be a lot of personal laundry on the clothesline.

Actually, their history is pretty gnarly and savage to say the least. The band started as a trio called The Great Tyrant, made up of Daron Beck (Pointy Shoe Factory), Jon Teague (Yeti), and Tommy Atkins. That all came to a screaming halt when Beck and Teague found Atkins dead by suicide in a bathroom, with the walls taking on a pinkish black appearance. That tragedy not only gave name to their musical evolution away from the Great Tyrant but pushed them down a more convulsive, destructive path. How could anyone blame them?

As noted, synth plays a large role in these songs, and that gives the compositions a cosmic darkness that sticks around as a recurring theme. Nods can be made to decidedly non-metal artists such as Suicide, the Cure, Scott Walker, Joy Division, and — this could just be me hearing something weird — the Smiths, but you also can find some of your more metallic leanings with comparisons to Khanate (the album was mastered by James Plotkin), Fantomas, and YOB. Even tossing those names out there doesn’t completely capture what these guys do, and those should be considered very loose associations. But we need some starting points, right? So there they are.

The record opens with “Bodies in Tow,” a song that’s already got some play on the Internets to some acclaim, and rightfully so as the reigning space keys and buzzing melody give off a feeling of nighttime cool and medicine head panic combined. “Everything Went Dark” opens with a do-wop sample and spills into a swirling song that’s one of the shortest on here and one of the most effective. “Passerby” has the New Wave tones and some ghostly vocals, and the bulk of the piece is dark and haunting. Then the whole record changes.

“Fall Down” is the start of the proceedings getting more sinister. There’s a threatening doom fog, pounding, and menacing intent, even as Beck’s vocals take on a soulfulness that should be soothing but is instead scary. “Tell Her I’m Dead” has its bottom drop out from the start, as harsh noise, key zaps, and wild shrieks make the song the most harrowing and metallic of the whole album. “Tastes Like Blood” may have you letting down your guard with its quiet, trickling pace, but it runs headlong into the volcanic closer “Against the Door,” where their audio sickness and UFO-like keys penetrate and spread their way to your insides, making you go cold. If you feel the urge to immediately go back and experience the whole thing again, you’re not alone. I, for one, couldn’t step away.

Pinkish Black certainly are not the heaviest band in the world from a decibel standpoint, but psychologically and emotionally, they may be untouchable. These Denton veterans obviously have seen some crazy shit and aren’t comfortable with expressing themselves in a conventional manner. Good. That makes for an exciting, compelling record that might make you run for a safe place, but will haunt you even there. Don’t say you weren’t warned.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pinkish-Black/138248106193659

To buy the album, go here: http://www.handmadebirds.com/store/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.handmadebirds.com/

You’ve heard the saying “jack of all trades, master on none”? Well, that saying doesn’t apply to Jenks Miller, who has proved again and again no matter what he touches, it seems to turn to gold.

Have you heard his country-and-folk-fed Mount Moriah, a band in which he plays guitar and teams with the awesome Heather McEntire to deliver heart-crushing, sobering tales? The band is flat out incredible. Then there’s Horseback, the metallic hybrid project he’s headed for several years now, where he always seems to come up with something genuine and inventive. Over the course of several releases, Miller, as the primary visionary, always found ways to tread new paths and keep his perspective fresh.  That carries over to “Half Blood,” Horseback’s new full-length effort and the first initial-ruin release Miller has offered up for Relapse, who have put out versions of “The Invisible Mountain” and combo effort “The Gorgon Tongue: Impale Golden Horn + Forbidden Planet.”

Under the Horseback moniker, Miller has gone through many metamorphoses. There have been trips to black metal, doom, ambient drone, and many other sounds that have made the project’s sounds richer as it has matured. “Half Blood” has many of those elements as well, but they sound more refined and channeled through a Southern and Midwestern filter. The bio materials for the record describe a meeting of the minds between Neurosis and Neil Young, and that’s a damn fine assessment. People who dig Across Tundras and other Neurot acts also will find much value in this seven-track record, and I find it to be the most satisfying piece in the entire Horseback canon. I’ve spent a ton of time with this record while proofreading, and it keeps my mind open and aware, stimulated and charged.

The album basically works as two halves. The first segment is made up of four tracks that certainly stand on their own but work great in tandem. The second portion is a three-part section called “Hallucigenia” that pushes your mind to the limit and makes you imagine shapes and colors much in the same way long passages from bands such as Sleep and Electric Wizard can do. I found myself getting lost in this section, and when the music expired and my iPod light came back on, I was typically stunned that I was so engrossed I didn’t realize the journey was over. That worked especially well yesterday, for example, when I sat 32 floors above town and soaked in the record amid fog and a driving rain storm.

We open with “Mithras,” a psyche-washed, somewhat bluesy opener that trickles along in a calculating manner, as Miller growls over top. “Ahriman,” a name that appears drawn out of Zoroastrianism, buzzes and simmers, with an Americana glaze and some of the more direct singing on the entire effort. “Inheritance (The Changeling)” is the most surprising track here, as it opens with weird laser shots (like early M.I.A., before she made an ass of herself), crashes, watery percussion, and rising organs. Guitars eventually squeak and hiss, noise floods threateningly, but then the whole thing dissolves into calm keys and acoustics. “Arjuna,” seemingly named after a warrior in a Hindu epic who was a great archer, also has a Southern feel, dusty, creaky vocals, and eventually some raw singing that seems totally foreign to what’s going on, which, of course, means it works perfectly.

That moves us onto the “Hallucigenia” triptych, which begins with the dream-state sequence “Hermetic Gifts,” a song so tranquil and serene that when Miller’s growls kick in, it’s like having Gollum threaten you during a trance. “Spiritual Junk” is built on organs and drums, keeping to a mid-tempo pace that sets the stage for the 12-minute closing segment “The Emerald Tablet.” This track reveals the whole album’s true primordial substance, and it brings all of its parts together for an amazing crescendo. The psychedelic ooze bubbles, the tumultuous sections bring the vision into focus, and the life forces captured in this song seem like they break through an imaginary barrier and out into the world. I know that sounds a little ridiculous, but listen to it and see if you understand what I mean.

Miller is one of the most gifted and imaginative musicians in any genre, and Horseback never fails to keep me invested. “Half Blood” is a ridiculously rewarding experience and already a candidate for best-of-the-year honors.  I’m excited to have it in my music arsenal, and I don’t imagine it’s going to take a back seat to anything else anytime soon.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/Horseback

To buy “Half Blood,” go here: http://www.relapse.com/half-blood-cd.html

For more on the label, go here: http://www.relapse.com/

I probably sound like an annoying asshole by now since I’ve said this so many times, but for all the saturation in the metal world, it’s hard to find places, bands, and labels that consistently keep me excited. It’s a lot to ask, I admit, because I listen to a ton of stuff every week in order to make this site go, and having that much music in my ears is bound to result in fewer things sticking in my cranium. Therefore, I complain.

But as noted previously, there still remain a few labels that, when I get their promos and e-mails, I’m still excited to dig right in immediately. Profound Lore, Gilead Media, and the Flenser come to mind immediately, and anything that lands in my inbox or my physical mailbox from any of those outlets get moved to the front of the pipeline, the rest of what I have be damned. Newcomer imprint Broken Limbs Recordings quickly is moving its way up my list as an outlet for thought-provoking, exciting metal and extreme music that keeps me hungry for more.

My first experience with Broken Limbs came via the captivating new Vattnet Viskar EP, a stunning, self-titled collection of atmospheric, woodsy black metal that remains in heavy rotation weeks after hearing it for the first time. Recently, a bunch of new things from the label landed in my lap (uh, in a digital sense), and I’ve already taken time to peruse and dissect most of it. That said, I don’t want to recap all of them here because that would be a lot to do in not that much space, so we’ll tackle two of the releases. The rest will get its time in the weeks to come, believe me. I also thought it would be fun to look at two records that are very much different from each other, giving you an idea of the open-mindedness of the folks at Broken Limbs. That’s always a great sign that we’re in for some unexpected adventures in the years to come.

First up are French black metal titans Fhoi Myore, a band that’s doing a lot of good, especially when it comes to enhancing their homeland’s notoriety for producing some of the most bizarre, artistically limitless extreme metal going. The band only has been in existence for four years but in that time, they’ve managed to punch out a few demos, a full-length effort in March, and now their eight-track EP “The Northern Cold,” that Broken Limbs has brought your way. Basically, if you’re still into the second wave of Nordic black metal bands and also like music that makes you want to encounter the occasional ferocity of nature (rain pours in the background of this thing a nice chunk of the time), you’ll probably really like what you hear here.

Fhoi Myore, who appear to have plucked their name from the seven misshapen giants from “The Chronicles of Corum,” look pretty beastly themselves, from the few photos I’ve seen of the band. That matches nicely the primitive, animalistic nature of some of their songs, especially the desperate, shriek-filled vocals. There seems to be a real connection to nature and one’s essence, or at least that how it feels from listening to their music. I don’t have a lyric sheet, so I can only go on what I perceive. There also is a delicious amount of melody underneath these savage servings, from “Orage,” a gorgeously violent epic that twists and turns quite a bit but never loses its way; “Souvenirs,” a song that is fast and intricate for the most part and eventually lets a flush of air into the room at the end; “Miist,” a song that, if you remove the drape of black ugliness, has a catchy, almost approachable spine; and “Forest of Doom,” a track that seems awash in pain. There also is a cover of Ancalagon’s “The Walkyries” and an acoustic version of “Songes Funestes,” the closing cut on their self-titled long-player.

“The Northern Cold” is passionate, well-played, and nicely put together, as it is raw enough but it lets each dash of color come through without being muted by basement filth. Those still dining on the bones of black metal’s early days will find a veritable feast here.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/fhoimyorehttp://www.facebook.com/fhoimyore

To get the EP in digital, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/the-northern-cold-ep

To get a limited-edition cassette version of the EP, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bigcartel.com/product/fhoi-myore-the-northern-cold-ep

All the way on the other side of the room lurks Wholy Failure, a project from Patrick A. Hasson of bands such as Black Chalice, Field of Spears, Avulse, and Auspicium. But unlike the man’s other work, what he does on “Avalon and Everything After” leans more toward ambiance, deathrock, and mopey doom. It’s noisy, often disruptive, and it might make your face jerk now and again, but stick with it. This music will reveal itself to you slowly as you revisit, and while you might not wish to look directly at the scarring, you’ll be intrigued by how such damage came to be.

There are many bands to which Wholy Failure compare. The closest would be the psychologically damaged Wreck and Reference, but there also are hints of bands as diverse as Alaric, Katatonia, Paradise Lost and Christian Death. The effort also nicely is separated into two halves that work well as a whole but also make a lot of sense digested as a Side A and Side B. The first half is a bit dreamier and even poppy in spots. No, not shit bubblegum mainstream, but more like how old New Wave could make you nod along and feel like garbage all at the same time. “Signal Loss” has Hasson sounding a bit like Nick Cave in his delivery; opener “Pissing Match” is confrontational with some guitar weirdness; and “Cold Slow Rain” is a minimalist instrumental that is fittingly named. The second half opens with an emotional, raw, guitar-and-vocals-only “Under Avalon and Embracing Judas” that is incredibly effective; “What Slow Death Awaits By the Sea?” consists of wooshing ambiance and humming drone, and it leads to our killer conclusion, a title cut that sounds like it’s on the brink of death, with Hasson kicking out the catchiest, dankest suicide mission I’ve heard in a long time. It’s also sticky as fuck. Try to stop listening to it on repeat. I couldn’t help myself.

Wholy Failure is a mesmerizing, chilling project that both is and isn’t easy to digest. Musically, it’s unstoppable and powerful, but lyrically and emotionally, it’s open and exposed to the elements, letting the aroma of death choke your nostrils and fill your chest.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wholy-Failure/203597062995864

To get the album, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/avalon-and-everything-after

For more on the label, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.com/

For their Big Cartel site, go here: http://brokenlimbsrecordings.bigcartel.com/

It’s always nice seeing a person you haven’t seen in a while. Unless you hate that person. Then it kind of sucks, especially if that person doesn’t know of your distaste and tries to engage you in conversation. Uncomfortable. But back to people you don’t hate, it’s nice crossing paths isn’t it? Unless they hate you, and you have no idea. Maybe to be safe, don’t talk to anyone you haven’t seen in a long time just in case you hate the person or the person secretly hates you. We’ll all be much safer under that plan.

OK, for argument’s sake, let’s pretend the person you encounter for the first time in a while is someone you do not hate and/or who does not despise you. After spending some time with the person and playing catch-up, isn’t it odd that changes we find in the lady or fellow? Time does that. We shape and shift, develop or regress, become different forms of what we once were. Our experiences, mutating likes and dislikes, and simple life events change us, and it would be silly to run into the same person every few years and expect the exact same experience. Unless that person is Angus Young.

What I’m on about is Torche and their new album “Harmonicraft.” On the surface, it’s Torche. It’s pretty hard not to recognize them when you first hear their peppy metal, as they have sort of carved out a sound that’s all their own. And partially the Foo Fighters’. But mostly theirs. Plus, the Foo Fighters have bored the shit out of me for years, while Torche never do that. I’m getting a call from the Grammy Awards, who are very upset I just said that about an annually nominated band. Sorry, old white guys. But Torche. I like that they’re familiar, and their third record is that very much. It instantly made me happy because I like Torche — vocalist/guitarist Steve Brooks, guitarist Andrew Elstner, bassist Jonathan Nunez, drummer Rick Smith — and their sound, and unlike most bands I write about, they make me smile in a fun way. They’re a good time. I saw them live, and I was so glad I was drunk when I did because it made them even more amazing. I’m loose-spending when I’m drinking, and when they were done, I traded a bunch of money for T-shirts. I soberly stand by that decision.

But something I noticed on “Harmonicraft” are the changes that have taken place between their 2008 full-length “Meanderthal,” one of my favorite albums of the last decade, and this new one. I’d even say there are some differences from their 2010 stop-gap EP “Songs for Singles.” Dude, so much has been altered since their 2005 self-titled review that, if you haven’t kept up with the band, you’ll need something of a history lesson. So go and listen to everything you missed and come back. We won’t wait, but we won’t delete the rest of the text. That’s how the Internet works sometimes.

Many point to the departure of guitarist Juan Montoya as a major reason behind Torche’s current persona, but I wonder about that assertion. First, Montoya went on to form MonstrO, a band with a really generic singer. Montoya didn’t exactly become a guitar god there, nor did he whip out anything resembling “look what those Torche bastards will miss” type of riffs and melodies. I don’t even remember anything from the MonstrO record, so impression totally not registered. Second, Torche have been moving toward poppier, more accessible rock and metal for some time now, so these gradual changes in their musical personalities should not be all that surprising. Like I’ve already heard that next Baroness album is pretty much devoid of metal. Totally not surprised. They’ve been headed that way for a while. Can’t wait to hear it, by the way.

So yeah, if you’re expecting doomy, sludgy Torche on “Harmonicraft,” you won’t find what you anticipate. If you demand that sound from the band, you’ll be disappointed. But if you like what the band did in their lighter moments on “Meanderthal” and “Songs,” there’s no reason to think you won’t like this record. Lack of true, decibolic metal aside, these songs are pretty catchy. It still sounds like Torche, albeit a more refined, more polished version. This should surprise and offend no one. Career path, kids. Learn how to follow one.

One thing Torche has not abandoned is their ability to stuff a bunch of songs in the front and back end of their albums that all seem to gel together and topple into each other. That may be a negative for some, as some of the stuff does tend to blur together, but I like how seamlessly these songs are interconnected and that I can just get caught up in the energy of it all. “Letting Go,” “Kicking,” and punk-flavored “Walk It Off” have basically the same attitude and semblance or order, and before you know it, you’re knee deep into the record. On the other side, heavy “Skin Moth,” the killer instrumental title track and … drum roll for the greatest song title of the year so far … “Kiss Me Dudely” also work in tandem and bring you almost to the album’s conclusion. Worked into the closing package are a couple of pace-changers, notably the dreamy gaze of “Solitary Traveler,” one of the more unique songs in their canon, and the doom-encrusted, noise-simmering closer “Looking On,” where you finally get that metal fix you’ve been whining about.

Sprinkled throughout the record are a few songs that let you check out some of the cool stuff they picked up since you last saw Torche. “Reverse Inverted” has a tasty little Southern rock groove that slithers beneath everything; “Snakes Are Charmed” lets the guys kick out some sugary guitar goodness and licks that would sound cool over the opening screen of a colorful, seizure-inducing videogame; “Roaming” is the band as their pop-metal best, busting out a song that could go out to your rock radio stations and slip into the playlist without anyone having a stroke over it. Torche deserve that slot.

So yeah, Torche aren’t the same band you knew a few years ago. They changed some stuff, they got a little slicker, the buffed up some edges, and they got tighter as a unit. If you wanted to cuff them and make them stay the same people, then you’re a horrible person who belongs in an internment camp. I’m not even joking. “Harmonicraft” is a blast, and it’s great to hear the guys in such high spirits. Now, if we can just have less of a wait between albums, or am I being an asshole?

For more on the band, go here: http://www.torchemusic.com/

To buy “Harmonicraft,” go here: https://store.volcoment.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.volcoment.com/

Yesterday we visited with Théresè Lanz, vocalist/guitarist for Canadian noise doom warriors Mares of Thrace. We talked about the band’s excellent new album “The Pilgrimage” and their new home at Sonic Unyon, who have put out other notable metal releases as of late from bands such as Augury, Untimely Demise, and some little-known cosmic thrash band called … Voivod.

Today, we dig a little deeper into the record as well as what it was like working with Sanford Parker at Engine Studios in Chicago, Théresè’s longtime musical partnership and friendship with drummer Stefani MacKichan (this is their third band together), and the representation of female artists in the metal world. As you hopefully learned yesterday, Théresè doesn’t pull punches or opt for the politically safe way to say things, which made our conversation that much more fun.

At the end are links to the Mares web site, as well as links to buy their devastating new record. If you don’t buy it, I have it on good authority you might wind up buried beneath a whiptail scorpion (threw up a bit in my mouth just typing that) someday soon. You don’t want that –they don’t want that, right? Thanks again to Théresè for taking time do the interview and for not screaming at me when I coughed every five seconds.

Meat Mead Metal: OK, after you sent me the album a few months back, you noted that the song “Nazi Ballerina” (now called “The Perpetrator”) would have to get a name change. What went down with that?

Théresè Lanz: It definitely wasn’t a controversy, and I don’t want to single out Sonic Unyon as some evil manipulators who were trying to cramp me creatively. Because nothing could be further from the truth. They just felt that if the song was a single, it should not have an inflammatory title in it. But you know, that’s not what my mom would call “a hill to die on.” It wasn’t an issue for me to dig my heels in and make a stink about. So I changed the title, the video is ready, and theoretically everyone’s happy. But the title is about a Nazi ballerina who was a spy for the Nazis in World War II, and I enjoyed that the main riff in that tune, and especially with Stef’s playing, is graceful but hideous and evil. I imagine that’s how a Nazi ballerina would be.

MMM: Oh, those poor Nazi ballerinas.

TL: (laughs) Yeah, and after they told me it was a little inflammatory, Palmerston immediately sent me an e-mail apologizing and said that don’t worry, no one thinks that a band with a Filipino woman in it is going to be espousing Nazi ideals. But hey, they’re giving me money to make songs, so they get to weigh in once in a while.

MMM: Now, you worked with Sanford Parker on this record. What was that like?

TL: That guy, I just want to hug that guy. (laughs) He’s just a huggable guy. It was awesome. We could not have wished for a better producer. He had a really good instinct for reading my mind. Like I’d say, “Can you make the guitar sound chocolatier, or can you make an electronic sound that goes (makes wooshing sound)?” and he’d just do it. That whole experience was pretty magical. Walking through Wicker Park in the November sunshine to the studio and drinking craft beer and eating real tacos, because you can’t get those where I live, and going to see Zoroaster in the evening. It’s a great city. I’m really excited about moving there.

MMM: Going back to the label interest, were you surprised the band generated such interest?

TL: I was a little surprised. I was flattered. When some of the more commercial metal labels came sniffing around, I was baffled. Without shit-talking anyone in specific, I thought we would have been a really strange fit on some of the more commercially inclined record labels. And I wasn’t particularly into their rosters.

MMM: You and Stefani have been friends for a long time and have played music together forever. Talk about your creative relationship. It would seem by this point you must finish each other’s sentences.

TL: Yeah, I mean, we have such a long-established dynamic that it’s pretty automatic. But Mares of Thrace is the first band where she ever wrote. She doesn’t write guitar riffs, but she writes … I think of them as drum riffs. (laughs) And I’ll write stuff to that. That’s sort of a new part of our dynamic, and that’s nice. It’s hard to be a sole writer. Writing on a deadline blows, and I’m not the most prolific writer anyway, so when someone else pitches in, it’s great. Also, other bands I was in, someone could come up with a riff and no one else would be into it. We don’t have that luxury, so it’s great. (laughs) I never have to throw out a riff because I’m really excited about it and some fucking Debbie Downer isn’t into it in my band. So yeah, we don’t have to think too hard about things, and they just happen. It’s like old married people who have been together for 40 years having sex. I’m sure that’ll be used someday.

MMM: (laughs) That’s going to be used in this story. Are you kidding? Now, what would she say if she heard you say that?

TL: (laughs) She’d probably agree!

MMM: Do you pay attention to reviews of your work and whatnot, or is that something that you don’t pay a lot of attention to?

TL: See, this all goes back to my tendency to befriend metal writers and our interviews turn into hang-out sessions. (laughs) Um, the ones I pay attention to are (the writers) who I know have good taste. Then I want to know if they like my record or not. Those are the only ones I care about. Like, if someone’s favorite band is Trivium and they give our record a 2 out of 10, that’s cool. (laughs)

MMM: Yeah, you’d have to consider the source.

TL: Really the only thing that bums me out is when (writers) use a different language to review us or a different vocabulary to review us than they would a band with dudes in it.

MMM: OK, I’m glad you said that. I feel like it’s 2012, should we be past the gender issue by now?

TL: Well, it’s the vocabulary thing. In one review, we were referred to as “fuck-a-licious hotties.” (laughs)

MMM: There goes my headline.

TL: (laughs) Look, I like when people say nice things or people think we’re cute or whatever, but for God’s sake, you would never say that about dudes in a band?

MMM: OK, now, you did the Revolver “Hottest Chicks in Metal” monthly feature, but yours was totally different than everyone else’s. 

TL: I was fully clothed from my collar bones to my wrists and to my ankles, and I talked about video games the whole time.

MMM: Now, whenever they asked you to do it, did you want to do it right away, did you go back and forth?

TL: I was incredibly conflicted about it. The reason I did it is Josh Eldridge (publicist, now with The Musebox) said it was good exposure. I don’t think it was good exposure. For starters, it said KEN mode. That’s the name that was big and huge in the article, and that’s not even my band. And I’m sure that having one of the “hottest chicks in metal” is not what KEN mode wants to be known for either. My filling in for that band definitely got referred to as a gimmick. But, you know, what should I be to be perceived as authentic? What would they prefer I be?

MMM: You’re probably supposed to have a penis.

TL: Like a fat, hairy dude? I don’t want to be a fat, hairy dude. No, but chiefly what it did was a bunch of dudes with beards and bad taste in music and no friends then friend-requested me on Facebook.

MMM: Do you regret doing it?

TL: Some women I hugely respect and admire did it, and some women I hugely respect and admire declined it. If I had to do it over, would I … oh, I don’t know. I don’t know.

MMM: What if they asked you to do it again?

TL: It depends. When people like Laura (Pleasants) from Kylesa declines it, it’s because she doesn’t need free press. My band still needs free press. Ultimately, it comes down to pragmatism, and one day I’d like to not be pragmatic about ideals. That said, if they said they were going to pick my wardrobe, I’d say, “Get fucked.”

For more on the band, go here: http://www.maresofthrace.com/

To buy “The Pilgrimage,” go here: http://www.sonicunyon.com/metal/artists/mares%20of%20thrace

For more on the label, go here: http://www.sonicunyon.com/metal

Canadian noise-doom duo Mares of Thrace blew shit up a couple years ago with their volcanic debut “The Moulting,” a cataclysmic, punishing display that sounded like nothing else in the metal world. It also was astonishing that just two people – vocalist/guitarist Théresè Lanz and drummer Stefani MacKichan – were responsible for all the raucous, and their album immediately became a favorite at Meat Mead Metal.

Now, the Mares are back with their impressive follow-up “The Pilgrimage,” a record where they keep intact the things that made “The Moulting” so damaging – baritone guitar magic, jazzy, spazzy drum work, from-the-guts growls – and manage to make them even more effective. Recorded with one of metal’s go-to producers Sanford Parker, Lanz and MacKichan made Engine Studios their personal battle ground, hammering out the 10 cuts that comprise this deadly new record.

Théresè, who soon will be moving to Chicago to begin a program focused on video game development at Tribeca Flashpoint Academy of Digital Arts and Media, took some time before she started the next step in her education, as well as Mares’ current U.S. tour, to talk to my sick ass (I literally was ill… I even had a temperature) about their sophomore album, their new label home at Sonic Unyon, and their band’s suddenly expanded profile, something to which she’s still adjusting.

“In my head, I’m still a DIY punk rocker playing on the floor of community halls for 25 kids and being really happy about it.”

Meat Mead Metal: So, the new album is called “The Pilgrimage.” Is there special meaning behind that title?

Théresè Lanz: I don’t know if you ever took English in high school or colleges, but (Geoffrey) Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales” has a piece in it that was a long piece of poetry describing a pilgrimage with a bunch of individual characters. I don’t want to call this a concept record, but that piece kind of inspired it and each of the songs, and that’s why they’re named after these little fucked-up characters that live in my mind. Also, I just did an interview for the Deciblog about how I’m going back to school for video game development, and they wanted to know if any of the songs are inspired by my love of video games. And in fact, the album title also is somewhat inspired by the “Mass Effect” franchise. This one alien race in “Mass Effect,” their planet got destroyed so they live in this mobile space flotilla, and when members of their race come of age, they’re required to leave the flotilla and not come back and until they go find something of value to bring back. That trip is called the pilgrimage. I would be a total, giant liar if I said the title wasn’t somewhat inspired by that.

MMM: Well, yeah, I was going to ask if video games played any part in the album.

TL: Not overly. For the most part, I find metal to be somewhat of a corny thing as a whole, but I like to try to keep the super-cheesy shit out of it. (laughs) I like to keep those two parts of my life reasonably separate.

MMM: Metal wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t corny.

TL: Hell no!

MMM: You’re on Sonic Unyon in Canada, and while they’re starting to make an impact in the States a bit, I don’t think we have the same understanding of what an important label it is. What was it about Sonic Unyon that made you want to go there?

TL: They were not the only offer we got, but they were probably the best offer. I like to kind of keep things in the family. I know Sean Palmerston, their PR dude, and I have a hard time dealing with people from whom I don’t get a good family vibe, and I get a good family vibe from them. The terms they offered us were awesome. There were some bigger labels that made offers, but personally, I’d rather be a smaller label’s top priority than a bigger label’s bottom priority. I’ve had friends in that position, and it didn’t look like fun.

MMM: What do they mean to Canada?

TL: Anyone who’s a musician in Canada is aware of or has had dealings with them in some way, because they’re one of the largest distributors. Over the years, they’ve put out some pretty seminal Canadian records and did a lot of stuff with worldwide artists. They’ve put out stuff for Jesus Lizard and Frank Black, and I do very much like supporting Canadian companies.

MMM: Canada’s also known for the government offering assistance for artists through grants. Did you get any help in that area?

TL: Yeah, you guys don’t really have that in America, do you?

MMM: Not really. And if Rick Santorum somehow got elected (NOTE: Thank fuck, he dropped out), I fear we’d be back to the 1940s and musicians would be forced to just play trumpets in some back room.

TL: Yeah, we have a lot of federal and provincial arts funding, but it’s not free money. I mean, we have our own delicious flavors of right wingers who have certainly made comments that it’s a waste of money and if art isn’t commercially viable, no one should give a shit about it. So there’s been controversy about that. But I mean, Cursed “III” was recorded partially with government money. But the grant writing is up to (the label), and I’m sure they’ve using it to recoup, but I’m not really involved in that end of it. We’ve incidentally benefitted from it. We’ve played a few cultural events. Like, we just played one in Northern Saskatchewan at an art gallery, and I’m pretty sure federal funding flew us there and rented gear for us. It was awesome. It was a great event. And when I was playing bass for KEN mode, oh! (laughs) The Canadian government put gas in our van and iHop in my face. But trust me, it’s not free money. You have to apply for those grants the way any business would apply for a loan. And they don’t just give those to anybody.

MMM: OK, well getting back to the record, you said it’s not really a concept record.

TL: (laughs) No, I’m not that arty.

MMM: OK, well then how would you describe what the record is supposed to be?

TL: It’s not a concept album in the sense that it’s not as cohesive as I imagine a proper concept record would be. I’m too ADHD to stick to an entire concept for one record. How’s that? (laughs)

MMM: (laughs) OK, I understand. I guess let’s look at it this way: The songs seem somewhat interconnected, there’s the David/Bathsheba thing. Is that literally based on the Biblical story?

TL: No. It was a jumping-off point. It’s about a similar situation in my life. That’s what inspired that trilogy. It’s metaphorical.

MMM: Well as far as the songs sort of being character-driven, is the bulk of the album also metaphorical?

TL: The titles are specific metaphors for specific scenarios or interactions and people that I witnessed or my own little fucked-up idiosyncrasies. I’ll tell you an amusing story, though. The song “The Goat Thief,” which also inspired the cover art, that title came from six months or so ago I heard about this news item. There was this guy driving around a rural area in British Columbia and stealing goats, because apparently if you steal a goat and you can find a goat dealer, you can sell those things for $500-$750 each. Around the same time, I read a story about this Nigerian village in which they arrested a goat because they claimed that he was a sorcerer who committed armed robbery, and he used sorcery to turn himself into a goat. So in the same span of time, I read stories about a goat thief and a thief goat. Everything kind of lined up there. It’s a hard time to be a goat.

Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion! Find out what Théresè has to say about Nazis! Sanford Parker! And what one hilarious term was used to describe Mares in a recent review!

For more on the band, go here: http://www.maresofthrace.com/

To buy “The Pilgrimage,” go here: http://www.sonicunyon.com/metal/artists/mares%20of%20thrace

For more on the label, go here: http://www.sonicunyon.com/metal

Not every band grows in leaps and bounds, and not every group should be expected to do that. Some run in place and just do fine, while others have more ambition than that. Dreaming Dead fall into the category of artists who probably never will stop growing and progressing.

From their start as Manslaughter to their transformation into Dreaming Dead, the shape-shifting already was evident.  Their debut album “Within One” was released in 2009 on Ibex Moon, and from the moment it dropped heads were turned their way, ears tuned to their unique carnage. Now, three years later, the band – vocalist/guitarist Elizabeth Schall, drummer Mike Caffel, bassist Juan Ramirez – are back with a self-released follow-up “Midnightmares.”

The changes from first to second record are astonishing and impressive. No longer can this band simply be labeled as mere death metal, as they do so much more along with that. The songwriting and musicianship are razor sharp, and it’s easy to hear how they’ve grown as players and as a unit. As for Schall, her vocal work has expanded along with her always-consistent guitar-playing skills, which are gaining her accolades among the metal community. Caffel and Schall were kind enough to answer some questions we had about the new album and the band. Check out below what they had to say, and when you’re done, but their album “Midnightmares” at the link at the end. You won’t be sorry, and you also won’t be able to tear yourself away from the multi-headed beast.

Meat Mead Metal: You’re getting ready to release “Midnightmares.” Originally, this was to be a Halloween release. What happened?

Mike Caffel: We recorded the album independently, and were therefore under no obligation to get it to a label at a specified time.  So we got pretty picky about how it sounded.  We took a lot of time to mix and master the album, and I think the final product reflects our efforts.  We also took a lot of time to get the tracklisting of the album just right, along with the placement of some mood-setting samples.

MMM: You’ve chosen to release this record independently. Did any labels talk to the band about putting out the album?

MC: Not really.  We talked to labels a bit and labels talked to us, but nothing came of it.  It’s surprising to me, really.  We’re not the best band ever, but I think we have a lot going for us.  I mean, Juan and I are totally hot!

MMM: What are the advantages and disadvantages to going to DIY route with releasing “Midnightmares”?

MC: Advantages include having the final say about the final product — whether it be the mix, the artwork, or the tracklisting — and being able to pursue our own artistic vision fully without outside pressures.  The album is all us, unfiltered.  The disadvantages are that we won’t get a label pushing the album and providing us with distribution, and that we won’t be as likely to get on tours since labels typically do package tours with their own bands.  Another disadvantage is that we paid for the entire recording out of our own pockets.

MMM: Musically, the sound definitely has expanded. You can hear more musical influences on the record, and I’d say that while it’s death metal, there are shades of gray. Do you agree? What led to the expanded sound?

MC: The progression towards our current sound has been very natural and unforced.  Juan, Liz, and I wrote a lot more together on this album, and we even put a lot of parts together just jamming in the studio.  I’m really pleased with the track “Into the Depths,” and that was a song that we wrote on the fly. I kind of like the term gray metal, but I’ve hesitated to use it because it just isn’t dark enough.  I like the term Bethlehem uses to describe their music: dark metal.  I also think part of the evolution of our sound has been due to us getting more comfortable in our own shoes.

MMM: Vocally, Elizabeth, you show even more range on the album. The growls are there, but it sounds like you’re more confident. Your voice sounds stronger — not that it wasn’t strong before. Is that a product of time and touring? Something else?

Elizabeth Schall: It’s actually something I’ve been working on for quite some time. Adding more range and actually pitching my screams to a specific note helps with variety and overall color. I pushed for it more on this album than “Within One” and expect to go even further on the next album.

MMM: Lyrically, what did you draw upon for the album? Are the songs personal? Observational? Philosophical? Combination?

MC: I feel like our primary focus with the lyrics was to achieve a particular tone: the sometimes absurd and fleeting imagery of dreams, and the juxtaposition between terrifying nightmares and the serenity of sleep.  There is an ebb and flow to the album musically as well, between super brutal and very mellow.  I wouldn’t go so far as to call “Midnightmares” a concept album, but there are definitely strands that exist throughout the entire work.

MMM: Two cuts I wanted to ask about — “In Memoriam” and “Departure.” Both are very interesting tracks. The songs are a little cleaner, a little more delicate. Very emotional. What inspired those songs?

MC: “Departure” is a song that I wrote as a reprise of the first track on the album.  If you pay attention, the final guitar melody in “Departure” is the same as the melody in “Wake.”  “Departure” ended up being a really mellow track, and pretty different from our typical tunes, but I think it worked out really nicely as a way to finish up the album. I’m really proud of how the first and last track stand as bookends to the album.

Liz brought “In Memoriam” to the table, and we really ended up making a cool instrumental out of it.  It has a cool bridge that builds slowly to a big climax.  I think a few of the riffs sound like Tool, so I hope our more brutal fans will be patient.

MMM: Elizabeth, you’ve been recognized for your prowess as a guitar player, you have your own model of guitar. You’re sort of a guitar hero. Did you ever think you’d attain that status? Is it cool that not only does the band get attention, but you do as well for your playing?

ES: Wow, thanks! I actually never looked at myself as being a guitar hero or thought I was at any status. There’s so much talent out there, that I’m not quite sure I actually stand out much, but I’m super stoked with my own guitar model, for sure! It’s something I’ve been talking about with Fernandes Guitars for some time as well. Regular-sized guitars are just too big for me so they totally hooked me up and made one of their Revolver models to size. It’s a beauty and plays wonderfully! On the other hand, attention is always a nice thing for anyone. What I mainly think is most important is to feel pride in your work and person, and that’s exactly how I feel right now.

MMM: On a side note: Elizabeth, you played with the Iron Maidens. Is that still going? Are you a big Maiden fan?

ES: I was an official member back in 2006, then left to form Manslaughter with Mike, which is now Dreaming Dead. I’ve filled in for a few South American and So Cal dates in the past year, but that isn’t really going on right now, but that’s just about it. Maiden is a big influence to a lot of folks, for sure. It was never one of my favorites, but after learning 40+ songs I definitely became somewhat of a fan of their music and song structure.

MMM: Will Dreaming Dead be doing full touring for the new record, or will you keep it regional for now? What do you hope the band accomplishes with this album?

ES: We have a small West Coast tour set for July in the works right now, but I think for the most part we’re gonna keep things local, although I wouldn’t mind getting on a sweet ass tour or fest in the U.S. or anywhere else. We’ll see what lies in store for the future for us. For the time being we’ll continue writing and rockin’ out as hard as we can!

For more on the band, go here: http://dreamingdead.com/

To buy “Midnightmares,” go here: http://dreamingdead.com/dd/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=4

It’s not uncommon or unexpected when, two decades into a band’s run, things start to slow down. The music isn’t as urgent, the band’s voice isn’t what it once was, and the expression isn’t as vital or immediate. That’s often when bands start relying on the hits, going into the studio just to make new music so there’s an excuse to tour and make a quick buck from the diehards.

Luckily for us, long-tenured doom metal band Paradise Lost does not fall into that category. While there have been highs and lows over their extensive recording career that began with 1990’s “Lost Paradise,” the band has remained mostly consistent. In fact, their last two offerings — 2007’s “In Requiem” and 2009’s “Faith Divides Us — Death Unites Us” — were pretty solid and demonstrated a band that didn’t seem anywhere near running on fumes. Now comes their 13th studio offering “Tragic Idol,” one of the year’s more highly anticipated records, and results are nothing short of powerful. This band has no quit in them, and even though they’ve been down every road and tackled every corner of the globe, they still have something relevant and exciting to say.

Another impressive anecdote about England’s Paradise Lost is they have maintained basically the same lineup since their formation in 1988. They’ve shuffled drummers a few times, with Adrian Erlandsson sitting behind the kit now, but the core of vocalist Nick Holmes, lead guitarist Gregor Mackintosh (we spoke with him a while back about his Vallenfyre project), rhythm guitarist Aaron Aedy, and bassist Steve Edmonson has stood the test of time and only grown stronger over the years. Listen to “Tragic Idol” and try to deny the fire that still rages in their bellies or that they’re not still incredibly important and influential to the metal scene. This is a fantastic, killer record that’s one of the best they’ve put together in a long time, their recent run of quality music aside.

Mackintosh, who got his vintage death metal hunger satisfied on the Vallenfyre release, said the new album would be guitar-oriented and feature more melody than before, and he was right about that. The songs do bristle and crush in spots, and some of the tracks are among of the band’s heaviest ever, but there is a gothic loveliness underneath a lot of the compositions, hooks that strike and floor you, and memorable moment after memorable moment that should make for some really exciting live shows. I imagine these songs will be fodder for much crowd participation.

Even when Holmes howls and growls, “Love fails today!” at the start of “Solitary One,” you’re not headed on a trip that’s quite as brutal as that salvo indicates. Yeah, it has its thorny moments to be sure, but it dissolves into a watery, gothy chorus that contains some of the most soulful singing on the entire album. It’s a song I can’t get out of my head. “Crucify” kicks in and lets things get a little rowdier for a bit, with a charging guitar line from Mackintosh that envelops the somber melody. “Fear of Impending Hell” is one of the catchiest songs on the record, and it could be a stand-out track for them, especially with a chorus this sticky. Try to ignore Holmes calling, “Never see the light, I don’t know where to escape.” You’ll fail, trust me. “Honesty in Death” is another that has hit written on it, with a nice chorus and a structure that keeps your blood flowing; the title cut has some deeper, less forceful vocal work from Holmes, as does “Worth Fighting For”; and closer “The Glorious End” is a true, slow-moving doom epic that’s utterly moody and dark.

I did note some of the material is heavier than usual, and you’ll find that evidence on “Theories From Another World,” a driving, fast, riff-rich song that simmers and shakes in its aggression, as well as “To the Darkness,” a song that catches onto a power metal-style gallop and keeps the tempo rambling forward.

“Tragic Idol” is not only a fantastic later-career entry for Paradise Lost, it’s one of the better albums of their collection. They keep finding new ways to be effective and keep their perspective fresh. They don’t sound like they’re slowing down one bit, and I’m guessing the live shows surrounding the new record will be some of their most passionate, ferocious yet. That’s not something you can manufacture, proving they have just as much heart as talent.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.paradiselost.co.uk/

To buy “Tragic Idol,” go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Item/Paradise_Lost_-_Tragic_Idol_-PRE-ORDER-/41193

For more on the label, go here: http://www.centurymedia.com/

Allow me to open with some annoyance and a bit to get off my chest. Saturday was Record Store Day, one of my favorite days of the calendar year. It’s like second Christmas. I got up early on one of my days off to get to my local indie shops in order to get the few things on my wish list. We were out for about three hours and had a great time. Everyone else we shopped alongside had a blast, too.

But you know people, especially those who feel like they have some kind of ownership in something. Like records. Newsflash to the vinyl dorks, who seem to spend all day on the Internet: Other people are allowed to buy and enjoy records, too. It’s not just yours. So all the people who went on Facebook and Twitter this weekend to bitch about how you buy records all year long and you don’t need a holiday to do so, congratu-fucking-lations. You’re special. But you’re not the target audience here. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t have to worry about our local record shop — if we’re lucky enough to have one — shutting down due to lack of traffic? THAT is the point. Get those who lost their way to find their way home. In Pittsburgh, we are blessed to have a few indie shops, and trust me, I hit as many as I could. And I buy records and CDs all the time too and don’t need a holiday, but I’m happy it exists. It’s fun. Record shopping should be fun, you assholes. So get off your chair and quit acting like you invented music.

Other people bitch that RSD if for major labels to gouge people. How? Are people forced to buy stuff? If you report to a record shop, are you not permitted to leave until you spend money on some major label fluff? And funny, but I spent upwards of $75 on Saturday, and not one of the things I brought home was a major-label RSD release. Not that I wouldn’t have bought something on a major if I wanted it. Because I don’t give a shit as long as what I’m buying appeals to me and I wish to spend the money. There were plenty of indie-related (and in my town, local artist-related) stuff for purchase, so you know, you can just go with that stuff.

Another complaint is people go out on RSD, snap up the exclusives, and then post them for sale on eBay for higher prices. Yes, this happens. I was lucky to score the final copy of Pelican’s “Australasia” double-vinyl reissue at Sound Cat, and that was my top priority. Out of curiousity, I went home to see if anyone was gouging people for copies they landed, and sure enough, there were some up with bid prices near $50. That’s $20 more than I paid for it, but I went home and played mine. That thing’s not getting sold to anyone. This aspect does suck because people are assholes. But this happens at Christmas when there’s a hot toy on the market and limited supply. It sucks, and if you can’t find it in a store and really want it, you’ll have to cough up more cash. Two points about this: 1. The person selling the stuff on eBay still had to buy it, so it still helps the store and labels. 2. If you don’t want to be gouged on eBay, then don’t buy there. It’s that simple, and no one is forcing your hand.

So let’s get onto RSD festivities for a moment. As noted, I grabbed the coveted Pelican release, and I was pleased to see, an hour after the store opened, that the other Hydra Head releases for doing really well. There were no more copies of Botch remaining on the shelves, and I only saw one copy of Circle, which looks so awesome in person. As neat as the packaging looks online, it doesn’t compare to when you hold the real thing in your hands. But I passed on Circle for the time being because I didn’t want to blow my whole load in one place. We then went to Eide’s in the Strip District, where they were holding an awesome anniversary sale in conjunction with RSD that got you 30 percent off any new CD or LP. I landed a physical copy of Pelican’s “Ataraxia/Taraxis,” that was reviewed here a couple weeks ago, as well as the tough-to-find debut ISIS EP “Mosquito Control.” Grand total: $17. Not bad at all. Our final stop was at Dave’s Record Mine in the South Side, where they were having a very generous used vinyl sale, as well as RSD specials from this year and years past. I landed the St. Vincent 7-inch (the only store that had any left) as well as a brutally cheap copy of Black Sabbath’s “Master of Reality.” My wife also scored many things in the non-metal category (including an awesome live Cure album from the “Disintegration” tour), and we both returned home feeling satisfied with out hunt.

So yeah, RSD is a good time. I hope it happens every year. If people want to whine about it, great. Don’t go. But don’t make other people feel like lesser beings because they’re not as astute a buyer as you. Or so you think. It was great being in small indie shops and standing shoulder to shoulder with people who were perusing all of the record racks, not just those containing the day’s specials. Again, that was the point. Renew interest. Get people into stores. Hopefully get them to come back. If every record store created one new buyer Saturday, think about how much that’ll help.

If you want to get your hands on the HHR stuff, go here: http://www.bluecollardistro.com/hydrahead/categories.php?cPath=4_425

For more on Record Store Day, go here: http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home

If you’re too good and witty for all of this, go here: http://bit.ly/13gVzY

I don’t relish when the artists I like find their muse and magic in pain. Quite simply, I don’t like to see people hurting. Yeah, metal is kind of fertile ground for such thing, as are most genres of rock, and just because the music of tortured souls appeals to me doesn’t mean I find gratification in their woes. I just find pleasure in their art and ability to express such blackness.

There’s no certainty that the members of Wreck and Reference have suffered personally, psychologically, or physically while making their new opus “No Youth,” but holy shit if it doesn’t sound like they did. Much like their excellent debut “Black Cassette,” the 10 songs that appear on this new album are raw in a human perspective, emotional in a sense that mimics thick, dry thorns being dragged across your heart, and naked like one’s name day. You can’t hide from what’s going on, and it’s really difficult to just listen to these songs for music’s sake. The gushing veins are flowing too hard and forcefully that you can’t help but get lost in this. And it hurts.

This dual-headed electronic doom beast has put out this album themselves as a pay-what-you-want release on their Bandcamp. It’s pretty easy to hear from just a few minutes of this that their musical worldview has expanded somewhat. The sound is richer and fuller (they recorded at the Howling Wasteland, and it was mixed and mastered with Colin Marston at the Thousand Caves), and while they still relish noise — a ton of noise — there’s even more melody than what they unfurled on “Black Cassette.” As for the vocal emissions, they’re honest and direct. Often, the diatribes sound like a wounded man’s poetry he writes to himself because he understands no other voice than his own. Sometimes, such as on “The Solstitial,” it sounds threatening and menacing. After the admission, “I hope you die before springtime,” we get the next step: “You were skipping stones, toes in the water, when I opened you.” It’s like a real-life horror movie. It’s the work of someone that, if you heard a person talking this way in public, you’d alert the authorities. It’s that real and affecting. Know that going on, because a weak-hearted listener might have a hard time dealing.

As noted, the music is much more wide-open this time. It’s not like they added a hundred instruments to the thing or an orchestra or a fucking choir. It just sounds more in your face, more opened up, and a lot of that likely has to do with the production end of things. But it works, and while “Black Cassette” is great for its muted fury, Wreck and Reference lose not one ounce of their danger by the music sounding better. It’s a glimpse into what this band can accomplish, and it’s an exciting look ahead to what the band’s future may hold. Truly, they are one of the most interesting bands in all of music.

The elements of doom and even black metal still remain in the mix, but the band has moved a little closer toward post-punk fire. Yes, comparisons can be made to Bauhaus and Joy Division, but a metal fan isn’t going to feel lost in the dark forest, unless, of course, that person has a closed mind locked to anything other than riffage and brutality. “Spectrum” opens the collection with buzzing noise, quiet strums, and raw singing, eventually dissolving into hisses and siren-like madness; “Nausea” has some calm, borderline prog-rock vocals, sort of like gentle Alan Parsons Project (there’s a band you wouldn’t expect to see referenced), and the music is dreamy and Goth-like. “Inverted Soul” is built on robotic beats and alien vocals; “Cannot” reveals more sprawling poetry and eventually erupts with manic screams and shouts, eventually choking out a panicked, “I cannot breathe!” “I Am a Sieve” contains our album title in its lyrics and floats on fluttery melodies; “Winter” has some stronger, poppier vocals, but of course it’s layered over total weirdness. Closer “Edifice of Silt” is zapped with lasery sound effects and machine-like chaos, with a storyline that would chill the hardest-hearted heathens.

Wreck and Reference might not be pure metal, or even close to it for that matter, but their work is as bloody and scar-filled as any black metal warrior’s heaviest transmissions. This music is can’t-look-away mangled and miserable, yet there’s a beauty and vulnerability to it all. So far the limited amount of material this band has put out has captivated me in a way few bands do these days. Wreck and Reference are real human beings who aren’t afraid to unleash their worst nightmares upon you. I don’t exalt in their misery, but I do appreciate and bathe in their red, penetrating lights that burn their way through my soul.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/wreckandreference

To get “No Youth,” go here: http://wreckandreference.bandcamp.com/album/no-youth

To get “Black Cassette,” go here: http://theflenser.bandcamp.com/album/black-cassette-remastered