Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Birchville Cat Motel - Gunpowder Temple of Heaven [Pica Disk - 2008]

Gunpowder Temple of Heaven finds Birchville Cat Motel in a more ambient, droney and growing harmonic warmth focus, though still built around Campbell Kneale distinctive guitar and sustained elements this feels more spiritual, calm and peaceful then much of his work.

It’s just one long forty minute track this time around which is built around held and drone guitar,possibly organ and synth harmonics, the track just hums and grows in power, warmth and harmony around you. Starting off with a distant guitar like charged heroic loop and unaudible dialogue snippets possible from the radio. Then over the rest of the track he  builds up layers of unfolding harmonic dwell feeling like hundreds of flowers slowly opening up in the warming light.

I’ll have to say while I enjoyed and found this rewarding- it’s not one of my favourite BCM pieces thus far. I think there’s not enough going on to substain the 40 minutes running time and it all feels a bit too ‘nice’, I like it when he throws in more jarring and odd angles to his sonic unfold. Never the less it’s another side of his sound explored which in it’s self has to be commended.

This is one of the nicest presented BCM disk so far,  coming in a nice double cardboard folder with an eight page book featuring an interesting piece about Gunpowder temple of Heaven and BCM in general by Bruce Russell(Dead C, Handful of Dust) and a full and handy BCM  Discoraphy thus far. Another step and chapter in this highly prolific artists work, not a highlight but certainly worth a go as he uncovers new and different curls in his distinctive sound worlds.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

Birchville Cat Motel - Gunpowder ...
Gunpowder Temple of Heaven finds Birchville Cat Motel in a more ambient, droney and growing harmonic warmth focus, though still built around Campbell Kn...
011125   Kleistwahr - Winter/Music for...
311025   The Residents - American Comp...
311025   Mondo Keyhole - Mondo Keyhole...
311025   Video Psycho - Video Psycho ...
301025   H.M.S. Defiant - H.M.S. Defi...
301025   Daughters Of Darkness - Daug...
301025   Tulsa Terrors - Tulsa Terrors...
291025   Who? - Who?( Blu Ray)
291025   The Ghost Of Peter Sellers - ...
291025   Various Artists - Wiener Wasser
Latest Articles

Michael Hurst Interview - Unbalan...
One of the more creative & original horror films I’ve seen/ reviewed recently is Transmission, a 2023 film which, a few months ago, received a DVD ...
281025   Michael Hurst Interview - Unb...
071025   Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of...
030925   Third Window Films - A Label ...
130825   HNW fest- Barcelona- 12th Apr...
250725   Raté interview - Walled-in F...
180625   Matthew Holmes - Of razor-sha...
280525   The Residents - Visits From T...
090525   Ennaytch - Of walls, abused ...
150425   Dead, Dead Swans interview - ...
110325   Sebastian Tomb - Walls of unb...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2025. Twenty four years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom