Carthage — Duskdawn

Deep down in the world where experimental metal meets electronica, you’ll probably find industrial-cum-grindcore specialist Justin K Broadrick. Primarily recognised as co-founder and guitarist in Godflesh, Broadrick has sat at the epicentre of UK’s industrial metal scene since the early 80s and has gone on to inspire and conspire with likeminded musical acolytes allowing this unique and much-loved subgenre of music to flourish. And this is indeed very much the case when it comes to Duskdawn, the new electronic-metal exploration release by Carthage – solo project of Damian Bennett and third in the collaborative series between Broadrick’s Avalanche Recordings and boutique US label GIVE/TAKE.

Damian B is probably best known these days as being one half of industrial metal band Khost, but the bassist started releasing music as part of metal band Deathless way back in the early 1990s before joining Gauge and Swiss hardcore punk outfit 16-17 – sadly none of whom did an awful lot commercially. Around this time, Bennett also launched his solo project Carthage with 1999’s self-released cassette-only Anadoniakk featuring an hour of electronic music stretched across two tracks as he incorporated a more ambient side to his music; eventually followed by first Carthage album proper, 2003’s 23.64PM.

Bennett also hooked up with Broadrick’s dub-metal Techno Animal (with The Bug) before joining forces with Andy Swan to form Khost in 2013. And in retrospect, the Swan-Bennett partnership seems near-inevitable - both were from Birmingham’s post-metal world, both had an interest in experimental electronica and both enjoyed combining the two. Not to mention of course the Broadrick connection – Swan had played in Broadrick’s band Final years before. All of which brings us back to the now, and Bennett’s return to Carthage, rather aptly following in the footsteps of Swan’s eponymously-titled Tactical Pagan album - the second instalment of the GIVE/TAKE- Avalanche Records co-lab.

 Duskdawn is a perfect vehicle for Bennett, allowing him to work across all his chosen genres – heavy guitar-based music residing at the forefront, but cut through with electronic experimentation, hints of shoegaze, a touch of krautrock, and plenty of post-hardcore and lo-fi. The album opens with a punch as the hazy sludgy guitars of ‘Unattainable’ penetrate what appears to be some standard lo-fi but which is underscored by delicate electronics. ‘Intertrans’ keeps the heavy going but is punctuated by krautrock signatures reminiscent of Neu’s Michael Rother alongside piano to reveal some deceptively-complex multilayering.

There’s a change of direction with ‘Field of Blue’ where mid-tempo beats are accompanied by piano and vocal amid some subtle industrial electronica. This is more like amplified Hecker – industrial ambient, and an aesthetic that continues into ‘wholivesinsideofyou’. There are intense guitar noise-rock interludes, but these always seem to give way to the lighter ambient touch. ‘Dialtone’ and ‘Jetfuel’ continue the 90s lo-fi journey before the intensity is lowered on ‘Just Like Glass’ and its drone-like etherealness. As we approach the final three tracks, the blend of electronic experimentation and hard guitar rock continues until the calm of final track ‘los maquinas no paran de hablar’. Singer Daniela VK features throughout, contributing an even greater ethereal quality to what is already a very dreamy, albeit heavy, ride.