Gnod — Chaudelande
The six tracks here from the manic Manc metal merchants were recorded at the start of their 2011 European tour in Chaudelande in Normandy and are the result of two days in the work in the studio.
The album kicks off with the ten minute ‘Tron’ which starts off with bird calls and the sound of exotic Caribbean like percussion. Then waves of guitar crash upon us and begin a NEU! like motoric riff. Distorted, unintelligible lyrics are shouted above the din like Mark E. Smith as the song blasts into hyperspace on a Hawkwind like space trip-out.
‘Visions of Load’ follows and here we have primitive drum machine followed by robotic metal krautrock rifferama. Think Harmonia, think Circle. The track is slightly more restrained and cleaner than some of the others but still riffs out in true space rock meets Cabaret Voltaire style. Excellent!
The albums centrepiece is the 17 minute ‘The Vertical Dead’. Starting like some rare seventies acid folk we make our way into a brooding bass riff which undulates into psychedelic slide guitar much like early Floyd although on this track the band show their madchester roots, the vocals becoming very Stone(d) Roses!. Caustic riffs fly around as we progress to a freak out intensity of sound until the seven minute mark when it all seems to break down into a sonic maelstrom of noise and chaotic echoed vocals. However, the band soon recover and the jam begins again as the vocalist becomes a fusion of John Lydon and Genesis P. Orridge and the song ends like Skullflower on a bad trip.
The remaining tracks again show the influence of all that is good about the kosmische, space rock and commune rock scene and if you are a fan of this kind of thing, makes this album an essential purchase. ‘ Man on the Wire’ conjures up images of all the tribal commune bands we know and love, echoing Amon Duul, Acid Mothers Temple and Yo Ho Wa whilst coming across as a heavier version of Cans ‘Yoo Do Right’.
‘Entrance’ is an intergalactic krautrock pulse which blends Hawkwind and Black Sabbath whilst final track on the CD, ‘Genocider’ is a frantic punky stunner which sounds like it was mixed by King Tubby and ends in a wall of distortion. Amazing!
If you like any of the bands mentioned above you really do need to buy this album. It is up there with the best and set to become a classic. Buy it now – I did!