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Everything Is Always At Once is the latest trip into brain warping ‘n’ ear-melting electronic improv from UK’s Richard Scott. It’s an eight-track CD/ digital download album, which finds Scott pull ‘n’ pushing his set-up through all manner of electro sound crafting & texturing.
Andrew Oda's Back to the Body is a lush modern classical ambient opus with a thoughtful, deeply emotional energy. It recalls the soothing, yet pained music of Stars of the Lid or Kyle Bobby Dunn, utilizing manipulated orchestral timbres, but is perhaps more active and complex in its melodic developments than either one, and more vividly psychedelic and modern, with fascinating synthesis work to compliment the traditional instruments.
Born For Hell is a terminal grim, at points downright troubling to nasty character study–come-psycho thriller set during the Northern Ireland troubles of the 70s. It charts the steady descent into madness and violence of a Vietnam veteran who comes ashore in Dublin. The film has a gritty fly-on-wall quality, and as it progresses it slow-but-surely edges up the intensity and feeling of sweaty unease, with jarring moments of misogynist & sexualized violence. The film was a re-telling of the Richard Speck case- where in 1961, the acne-scared loner killed eight nurses in Chicago. Here from Severin is a Blu-Ray release of film, with a new 2k scan of the film, and a selection of extras.
Like a good painting, the best ambient compositions manage to forge a balance between the sharpness of individual details and the feel of the overall picture. But unlike painting, however, the overall in music is not a final image but a development in time, its duration and ever-changing paths. I listened several times to Brad E. Rose's Annular Silhouettes without ever being able to tell exactly where things began, and where they ended – except for the actual start and end of the single track of this beautiful release – and even less, how things changed from one point to the next.
Having quite a prolific background, either separately or as collaborators, singer/multi-instrumentalist Kiki Bohemia (aka Karla Wenzel) and electric cellist Sicker Man (aka Tobias Vethake) are joining forces once again. Waiting For Wood finds them venturing deeper into their collective sound exploration of slow-paced and transcendental experimental music, atonal and fused with secluded oriental elements, spicing the whole outcome!
Translucence is a four-track example of the improv from bringing together highly prolific Belgian-based Dirk Serrries – acoustic guitar, London-based Tullis Rennie- Trombone, and also London-based Cath Roberts-baritone Sax. The album is often tight and edgy, yet at the same time playful and at points quite boisterous.
In the wake of the eruption of new cinema emanating from Australia in the 1970s (Cars that Ate Paris, Mad Max, Long Weekend, Patrick and Wakes in Fright to name, but a few) New Zealand had gotten left behind a little but felt the need to get in on the Ozploitation trend. The result of this was the release of Strange Behaviour aka Dead Kids or Smalltown Massacre, a 1981 slasher film that fell foul of the UKs video nasty hunt, even though it was never included on the DPP list. Written and directed by Michael Laughlin, the film remains underground, never receiving the furore that surrounded films like Cannibal Holocaust or The Evil Dead, however it remains an effective and at times brutal underground gem.
Strangely I’d never heard of The Blockhouse (1973) before, given its setting and themes which are definitely in my interests, so I’m pleased to have crossed paths with this blu ray. I’m reviewing a promo disc so there’s no booklet, but, having purchased releases from Powerhouse before, I’m confident it will be well-designed and informative.
Requiem For A Vampire is a Wellingborough, UK-based wall noise project- which seemingly started back in 2021. And Untitled 2, is as its title suggests its second release. It’s a digital release, that takes in a single spot on twenty-minute wall, which has a subtle atmospheric edge to the ragged rumbling ‘n’ grit bound wall.
Suočavanje Sa Duhovima( translated to Dealing With Ghosts) is a wonderfully tight ‘n’ constantly consisting slice of walled noise from this Bar Montenegro noisemaker. It’s a digital release, which is the equivalent of a 3in- as the single track comes in at just over the twenty-minute mark.
Here’s a two Blu-Ray release of brutal ‘n’ nasty killer clown slasher films 2017’s Terrifier, and its 2022 sequel. It’s a fairly barebones release on the extras side, as we get two making-offs/behind-the-scenes featurettes…but boy do you get a lot of brutal ‘n’ intense gore/violence over the two films' runtime.
This is Gwar is a 2021 documentary charting the nearing forty-year career of shock horror punk/ metal project Gwar, who are known for their blood, semen, and general goo-soaked shows that blend together OTT sci-fi and horror themes. Here from Acorn Entertainment is a Blu-Ray release of this Shudder channel production- taking in commentary tracks, and some other extras.
Audrey Rose is one of the lesser-known, but well-acted and engaging enough supernatural family dramas-come-light horror films to appear in the 1970s. It focuses on reincarnation- where a middle-class New York family are been harassed by a stranger, who claims his daughter tormented soul is trapped in the body of their pre-teen daughter’s body. The film shifts from supernatural-often-emotional drama, darts into troubled child horror. Then moves into a decidedly wacky courtroom drama, before going to a rather down-beat-but new-age resolve. Here from Arrow Video, both in the UK and in the US, is a new Blu-Ray release of the film- and as always with Arrow- we get a great extra packed release.
Here is a CD bringing together three John Cage pieces recently played by the highly respected and versatile modern ensemble Apartment House. Two tracks are later works"Two" & "Hymnkus", and in between them is "Thoreau Drawings" from the 1970s.
From the early 1970s, The Last Romantic Lover is a decidedly un-fleshy, straight, and often rather charming romantic drama by French director Just Jaeckin- whose more known for mainstream erotic films like Emmanuelle and Story of O. The film revolves around the cynical editor of a women's magazine, who organisers a competition in Paris to find the perfect romantic man. From Cult Epics, here is a Blu Ray release of the film- taking in a commentary track, and a few other extras.
Controlled Death aka Osaka-based noise maker Maso Yamazaki –also of Masonna, Space Machine, Rin, emerges once again, delivering a new aural profanity. Dirge For The Departed appears in the form of a C30, and has recently been released by the infamous Deathbed Tapes
Following 2020's Unending Futility, UK death merchants Live Burial are back with Curse of the Forlorn, an invigorating romp through doomy, mid-paced death. Expanding the scope and style of previous efforts, this latest LP shows a progression in technicality, songwriting, and overall performance. Channelling the old-school aesthetic, but merging it deftly with modern flourishes and arrangements, Curse of the Forlorn is a ripe slice of fist-pumping death metal.
Crucifixion: The Early Years is a three-CD boxset focusing on the early 1990’s Roadrunner Records released output of satanic-focused death metal ballbusters Deicide. It brings together their first two albums- 1990’s self-titled and 1992’s Legion, and 1993’s demo compilation Amon: Feasting the Beast.
The British toytown pop sound was birthed in the late 60s, being mainly influenced by the more quasi-classical instrumental-edged and quirky-to-mundane character songs themed of The Beatles. Here from Grapefruit, Cherry Reds 60’s psych-pop/ rock sub-label, is a recently released three-disc/ eight seven-track compilation celebrating the toytown pop sound- with a blend of known and more obscure names.
Ele'abyssus is a raw ‘n’ raging black metal EP split- bringing together the barbarically gunning BM punk of Seattle, Washington’s Kūka'ilimoku. And the cluttering malevolence and harshly baying vocalising of Chile’s Aarkanne.
Here we have a CD pulling together three creepy-to-horrifyingly bombastic scores from the early 1970s. We have two Les Baxter penned works, the score for the TV film An Evening with Allan Poe (introduced by Vincent Price), and the gothic ‘n’ gory period horror film Cry Of The Banshee (also starring Mr Price). And one work penned by John Cacvas- the score for the train-based horror/ sci-fi movie Horror Express- which featured Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing.
Sam Prekop and John McEntire have been working together for about as long as I can remember, from the still extant brilliance of the Sea & Cake to their collaborations on one another's solo endeavors – McEntire's film score for Reach the Rock is a standout, as well as Prekop's sundry solo releases.
Slaughter Day is a manically paced early 1990’s Shot-on-video film. It blends together elements of limb-hacking gore, demonic shenanigans, rapid fighting, and dizzying action sequences. Here from Visual Vengeance- the savouries of SOV/ ultra-low budget genre fare is a new Blu-Ray release of this lesser-seen SOV film- with a nice selection of bonus features.
The Kindred is a late 80’s mad doctor sci-fi thriller meets horror-fed creature feature. Its first half is a medical mystery thriller, then the second half is a whipping tentacle-bound and gooey monster movie. It’s an entertaining if slightly derivative film featuring some good moments of tension and neat practical effects. Here from Synapse Films is Blu Ray release of the film- featuring a new 4K scan of the picture, as well as a few extras too.