From Corners Unknown

In mid-July of 2019, Connor and I set out on a rather long road trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to catch this year’s Fire in the Mountains festival at Heart Six Ranch. I had the pleasure of attending this festival last year with another close friend of mine; however, they moved back to New York earlier this year, and thus, I decided to subject Connor to the arduous 14-hour schlep from Portland out to the festival grounds.

This podcast episode is our most unstructured and free-form to date; we prepared no notes. Our goal is to recount and crystallize the days leading up to the festival, the bands that played at the festival, as well as the return trek. A myriad of small, entertaining moments pockmarked our journey and we made our best effort to capture these in audio form. From blasting bangers that had their heyday in the early aughts to gas station taquitos, there was seldom a dry moment (save the depraved return trip where Connor and I were so gassed from the journey that we barely recall what we spoke about). Ultimately, we don’t provide provide a detailed analysis of each band that played at the festival. This is due, in part, to us recording this episode three weeks after the festival transpired. Regardless, we do hope you enjoy this small aside from us. Thank you so much for listening.

All the wrath of god, none of the salvation. This tagline eloquently encapsulates the sheer auditory savagery you will be subject to while Bible Songs 1 discharges its verses. Founded back in the summer of 1997, when Connor and I were mere tykes, The Austerity Program formulated. The trio, comprised of guitarist Justin Foley, bassist Thad Calabrese, and a drum machine, began laying in-roads on their discography, which now spans 22 years to date. In these decades they have published several EPs and a handful of LPs of which Bible Songs 1 is their latest. And at the time of this writing, the duo is beginning to etch out its follow-up, aptly titled Bible Songs 2.

The Austerity Program brand themselves as punk, though when you enter Bible Songs 1 and the first stone is cast by the relatively shrill guitar and grooving bass line, your perception of their style will likely shift, especially as the album unfurls minute by minute. Their essence, their undiluted energy is palpably intense. So effortlessly do they slather together intentionally abrasive instrumentals with witty lyrics that stoke provocative thoughts which, at times, can make you grin and at other times, make your skin crawl. Concoct these words and maniacal utterances with rhythmic pulses from their drum machine, and you are blessed with a sonic cudgeling to your cranium.

This record is the first encounter both Connor and myself have had with The Austerity Program. And we likely would never have spoken about this record, let alone know it existed, without the suggestion from Adam, owner of Constant Disappointment Records. For this reason, we thought it’d be fun to bring Adam on as a guest for this review, particularly because he has been a passionate follower of the band’s output for a multitude of years. With that being said, we want to extend our warmest thank you to him for showing us the shimmering light that radiates from The Austerity Program. Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy our review of Bible Songs 1.

It has been a minute since we published our last album review cluster podcast, but after wrangling our respective schedules, we are back to discuss another four recently released metal cuts. We decided to drop the word “brief” from the series title as we spend more than a mere handful of minutes on each album; hence the simplified title “Album Reviews” (not to be confused with our “Album Review” episodes where we focus on one record for each).

In this episode, we cast ourselves into the icy throes of Misþyrming’s sophomore LP, Algleymi; we asphyxiate in the murk of Ossuary’s death-doom revelry entombed in their second EP, Supreme Degradation; we soar and spiral atop the mysterious landscapes conjured on Lord Dying’s conceptual LP, Mysterium Tremendum; and we bask in the flickering ember hues of the Dark Souls-inspired progressive black metal outfit, Firelink.

Below you will find some high level detail about each artist. Bandcamp embeds are provided for each album we discuss so you can peruse them if they intrigue you. Links are provided for each band’s social media accounts too. Artist detail is provided in the order they appear in the episode and the timestamps next to each album indicate the approximate moment we begin discussing said album.

Thank you so much for listening. Let us know what you think about these records and if you have some suggestions for us to consider, please feel free to pass them along via email ([email protected]) or contact us via our various social media accounts. Our next episode should be ready by the end of August!

GRIZZLOR is a madcap noise rock trio from New Haven, CT. Harnessing grisly morsels from punk and sludge, the outfit embraces zaniness in the form of conceptual frameworks that articulate a rambunctious sci-fi aesthetic. This was not wholly apparent to us on the first EP of theirs that graced our respective ears, FIVE WASTED YEARS; however, with their latest EP, COOLNESS FACTOR 6, we are fully vested in GRIZZLOR’s cosmic wayfaring and their subsequent obliteration of an alien species (depicted on the EP’s artwork).

In this episode, we originally set out to create a compact review (one that is under half an hour). This proved to be challenging, however, as there was much to dissect in this EP’s sub-10-minute run time. So while we intended for this review to be succinct, it ended up being quadruple the length of the EP. Regardless, we do hope you enjoy this one as it’s teeming with wanderlust and an insatiable thirst for locating a galaxy that, in GRIZZLOR’s words, doesn’t fucking suck. Grab your makeshift wrenches and welding torches to keep this disheveled crew’s craft afloat as we strike murderous warp speed. Thank you so much for listening.

POUND is a two-piece instrumental brigade from Seattle, WA. Their style is a caustic amalgam of doom, grindcore, d-beat, djent, mathcore, sludge, and a smattering of other genre textures. While this blend of sounds on the surface may sound like a trainwreck, the duo effortlessly weaves the core essence of each genre into a rather novel tone. Frosty, indifferent pangs of doom call to mind Admiral Angry and skronky grooves a la mathcore unearth delectably dissonant respites found across the genre’s ever-expanding wealth of atonal output.

In this episode, we submerge ourselves in the intoxicating murk pouring from POUND’s second effort, ••. Energetic are the duo’s compositions as they seamlessly transition from breakneck onslaughts of grind-splattered mathcore to frostbitten doom throes to skull-caving veins of sludge. It’s challenging to keep up with the voraciousness of POUND as they seldom rest on a riff or timbre for more than several seconds at a time, but it is this quality that warrants repeat listens. Moreover, this quality renders •• a disorienting listen that cudgels as often as it rewards with passages that invigorate. So feel free to keep a tally on how often Connor says “pound” in this episode and revel in the hysteria that is POUND. Thank you so much for listening.

In this latest album review podcast, we break character a bit to discuss the renown Swedish melodic death metal quintet, Amon Amarth. This is driven, in part, by Connor’s storied history listening to this band of vikings; however, our desire to envelop ourselves in the atmosphere of sweltering, steel-forging furnaces stems primarily from roping in a lifelong friend of Connor’s (and a good friend of mine), Dillon, into one of our reviews. It is safe to say that us covering a more well-known outfit is, more or less, a one-off occurrence, but if you do enjoy the synergy of our three voices, please let us know and we will make efforts in the future to have Dillon back on.

Berserker is the eleventh full-length studio album from Amon Amarth, released via Metal Blade Records. Though it is not a concept album like their previous effort, Jomsviking, Berserker focuses on several dimensions of viking mythology with the artwork hearkening to the Bersker at Stamford Bridge. Be it the soaring melodies grounded by gravelly rasps or the wind-whipped onslaughts of steel crushing bone, Amon Amarth port us to the biting, primitive landscapes of yore and imbue in us a keen sense of valiance and wanderlust. We sincerely hope you enjoy this review as we had a blast piecing it together. Thank you so much for listening.

Dysphoria is a devastating harsh noise endeavor helmed by North Carolina denizen, Ashley Jane. Before this project came to be, she dabbled in noise experiments under the guise of Putrid Existence; however, this project was short-lived. Almost immediately after its termination though did Ashley begin to embrace the struggles of seeking and subsequently striking a sound that is raw and simultaneously grimy. And through this noise revelry she slathered together four scathing tracks beneath the umbrage of Salt & Piss.

Ashley notes that much of the oppressive atmosphere percolating in Salt & Piss takes inspiration from David Lynch’s Eraserhead. The graveyards of twisted metal with husks of abandoned industrial spires roasting beneath a washed out black and white pallor; the clash of human terror grating against cosmic indifference; so much of this film’s atmosphere is crystallized in Salt & Piss and for added malaise, Ashley stitches in her own personal strife. “Throbbing Ulcers” relates to her prior over abundant alcohol consumption and “Suffer Through Every Fucking Failure” articulates the aftermath and emotional turmoil of an intimate relationship’s cessation.

Since Salt & Piss‘s release, Ashley has, for lack of a better term, been on a tear of sonic outpouring. Shortly after this interview transpired, she founded the Noise Corner, which is a weekly show that reviews new noise, power electronics, and harsh noise releases, whilst doubly serving as a platform for her to tinker with new textures in an improvisational setting. In addition to this, she has a new conceptual two-track album titled Falling // Apart set for release this July. Where Salt & Piss is more a repugnant mosaic seething and crackling with odorous discharge, Falling // Apart fleshes out a blossoming romance between two lovers that spirals into entropy.

In this conversation, Ashley discusses the origins of Dysphoria. She expounds upon her early explorations of noise and discusses how these experiments eventually culminated into Salt & Piss. Additionally, she sheds an opaque light on Falling // Apart, providing us some morsels to digest in the time leading up to its release. Thank you so much for listening.

Heavy Meta is a ferocious concoction of mathcore and hardcore infused with shots of progressive inclinations and black metal animosity. It’s a flavor that you need to experience for yourself as words will struggle to articulate the heftiness of their tone and their frenetic, indelible grooves. Hailing from Lowell, MA, the quartet dropped their debut, self-titled EP via Constant Disappointment Records in May 2019. And with this release, we are potentially observing a tempest sweep across the label’s discography as the grit seeping from Heavy Meta’s pores is nothing short of experiencing a sledgehammer caving in your skull.

In this episode, we dissect each of the EP’s four tracks. From the piercing shrieks of the vocalist, who weaves together venomous tales that seemingly transpire in a fantastical medieval realm, to the relentless cudgeling of the serpentine bass, we revel in the berserk bloodlust spurting from Heavy Meta. There are several enjoyable derailments from Connor in this episode too… something akin to flesh-consuming aquatic plants and botanical, seafaring pirates; however, we’ll leave these morsels nondescript so you can discover them. Thank you so much for listening.

Download this episode by clicking the button to the right of this player: DownloadNERATERRÆ is the lone dark ambient endeavor from Italian artist Alessio Antoni. Back in 2017, he made his Bandcamp debut with this project via an EP titled The NHART Demon[n]s. The compositions comprising this EP were intended to be released back in 2009 or 2010 under the moniker of NHART. However, that time came to pass, and several years later, it became the eventual foundation of NERATERRÆ.Now, in 2019, Alessio makes his entrance with The Substance of Perception, his debut LP out via Cyclic Law. What’s most noticeable about this record at first glance is that each track features at least one seasoned dark ambient or drone artist. Some artists have been covered extensively here on From Corners Unknown, such as Xerxes The Dark or Flowers for Bodysnatchers, though for the most part, we are merely just aware of the majority of them. This quality of The Substance of Perception serves the listener well in that it offers a deep inhalation of Alessio’s expansive talent whilst simultaneously piquing curiosity in regards to the tones and timbres contributed by each featured artist.Alessio embarked on this sonic wayfaring to make each track tonally unique and atmospherically abstract. Though no through-line concept seems to persist across the album’s duration, it does embrace the theme of how we listeners perceive the tangible qualities of his soundscapes (i.e., substance). This becomes apparent after you pierce the first layer of fabric weaving together the album’s outward appearance. Depending on the time of day and/or the mood harboring your skull, each perceived track floats by like an amorphous mass, ceaselessly shape shifting before your eyes. It renders each listening experience a novel one. And this quality glimmers fervently, long after you depart from its substances and continue your day-to-day. Thank you so much for listening.

* * * * * *You can acquire a digital or physical copy (CD) of The Substance of Perception via Cyclic Law’s Bandcamp page. Follow NERATERRÆ on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop on new project developments.If you would like access to our notes for this episode, you can peruse/download those by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. Thank you for your continued support.

Flowers for Bodysnatchers is the neoclassical dark ambient endeavor helmed by Duncan Ritchie. Established over six years ago, this project sprouted up as a tonal change of pace from his even longer lasting industrial-tinged dark ambient project, The Rosenshoul. Toward the end of 2015, Duncan’s debut on the Cryo Chamber label as Flowers for Bodysnatchers was marked by the release of his opus, Aokigahara. And now, a little over three years later, Duncan unfurls his fourth solo effort on the label titled Alive With Scars.

In the months leading up to Alive With Scars’ release, Duncan published a quartet of tracks deemed as a prologue to the full album. Its concept was veiled as a protagonist or character who is slowly withering inside of their own diseased body as their central nervous destroys itself. And while, on the surface, you could observe this concept as somewhat standard fair relative to Cryo Chamber’s weighty catalog, it wasn’t until the few weeks leading up to the album’s release that the protagonist was revealed to be Duncan.

Duncan has been enduring his life for at least a decade with Multiple Sclerosis, or MS for short. He succinctly summarizes MS as an autoimmune disease whereby a body’s immune system attacks itself. Essentially, it razes healthy tissue called myelin, which is a crucial in insulating the nerves in your spinal cord, brain, and optic nerves. And as the disease persists in your body, it leaves internal scars on these body parts. Hence the album’s title.

In this conversation, Duncan and I spend a good bit of time discussing MS and when he began noticing something was off in his day-to-day. However, Duncan renders the ceaseless disease in a positive light and articulates how it has ultimately served as a touchstone of influence for all of his compositions, old and new. Though with this morsel of personal insight into Duncan’s life, one cannot help but notice how it casts his prior work, such as Aokigahara and Love Like Blood, in even bleaker shadows. Thank you so much for listening.