When Axl Rose waxed romantically about cold November rain in back in 1992, he clearly wasn’t singing about Leeds on a Saturday morning. A cold, depressing day darkened by oppressive black clouds showering their misery relentlessly from above, there is nothing romantic about Leeds city centre. However, above the sound of rain pelting against umbrella canopies, and cars splashing through ankle-high lakes of dirty water, there is hope. Somewhere out there is Damnation Festival.Continue reading
It’s another one of those typically cold, grey April evenings in central Birmingham. Slowly darkening skies, a distinct chill in the air, and a dense pall of doom hanging over The Asylum as it’s clear that first band Khost are already on as I arrive. Luckily, the band are only a couple of songs in, but the slowly gathering crowd are already enraptured by the duo’s atmospheric industrial grind. Continue reading
The Antichrist Imperium features Akercocke and The Berzerker members in equal numbers amongst their ranks, and with the release of second album Volume II: Every Tongue Shall Praise Satan (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) it seems that team Akercocke is determined to show that they’re on one hell of a creative roll at the minute. Like their other projects, there’s that unmistakable Akercocke tone woven throughout; they’re clearly confident and comfortable with each other as musicians and are free to experiment. Continue reading
One of the saddest parts about Akercocke going on hiatus all those years ago was the fact that after Words That Go Unspoken… and Antichrist (Earache) there was a tangible feeling that they were on course to release something truly ground-breaking. Whilst their recent release Renaissance in Extremis (Peaceville) was very welcome indeed, I couldn’t help but feel that the return to an earlier sound left that potential untapped. Continue reading
So, Akercocke, it’s been a while; you’ve been missed, welcome back. Trailblazers in their genre, and firm cult favourites Akercocke left a massive hole in both the scene and our cold black hearts when they went on hiatus, and the news they’d be releasing new material was met with widespread anticipation. Renaissance in Extremis (Peaceville) is the album that many a metalhead has been hoping for, but until recently didn’t think we’d get.Continue reading
English avant noise merchants Voices is releasing their latest music video for “Last Train Victoria Line,” directed by Samuel Joseph Loynes and Finnian Moore, here.
Recorded at Hackney Studios during the early months of 2014, London is a challenging and fearless offering that is fitting for a band that features former members of acclaimed progressive black metal band Akercocke. The album is out now via Candlelight Records.
“Last Train Victoria Line” visually flirts with the album’s storyline. Loynes explains,
“VOICES always aim to bring something unique, something atypical to proceedings. A collaboration of some essential creative friends and foes, this video is our greatest audio-visual piece to date. The litter-strewn street and red brick claustrophobia of London’s East End was the perfect surrounding for the hostile yet kinetic shoot that channeled our cloaked anti-hero and, in opposition, much desired ‘Megan’ seductress.”
Formed in 2011, Voices is the sonic experiment of guitarist/vocalist Peter Benjamin, drummer David Gray, and Sam Loynes. London comes only twelve months after the release of the band’s debut, From The Human Forest Create A Fugue Of Imaginary Rain.
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VOICES is streaming their new album London, here, and out now via Candlelight Records.
Delivering fourteen bastardized tracks of progressive blackened psychedelic melancholia centered on the forgotten and diseased underbelly of England’s capital city, VOICES – who features within their twisted ranks former members of Akercocke and My Dying Bride – compose perfectly imperfect sounds to welcome the end of creation, the extinction of the human, the collapse of music as we once knew…
VOICES was formed in London in 2011 as a new experiment from guitarist/vocalist Peter Benjamin, drummer David Gray and bassist Sam Loynes (all former members of Akercocke) with a mission to create a deep brand of cold and confronting music, part hypnotic yet often disturbing, focusing from an avant-garde take upon black metal, whilst always striving to explore a wide musical spectrum.
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UK dark avante sound contortionists Voices will release their sophomore full length release London on January 27, 2015 via Candlelight Records in North America. Tracked at Hackney Studios, the offering delivers fourteen bastardized tracks of progressive blackened psychedelic melancholia centered on the forgotten and diseased underbelly of England’s capital city. Featuring former members of Akercocke and My Dying Bride, VOICES manifests perfectly imperfect sounds to welcome the end of creation, the extinction of the human, the collapse of music as we once knew…
London Track Listing:
1. Suicide Note
2. Music for the Recently Bereaved
3. The Actress
4. Vicarious Lover
5. Megan
6. Imaginary Sketches of a Poisoned Man
7. The Antidote
8. The FuckTrance
9. Hourglass
10. The House of Black Light
11. The Final Portrait of the Artist
12. Last Train Victoria Line
13. The Ultimate Narcissist
14. Cold Harbour Lane
VOICES was formed in London in 2011 as a new experiment from guitarist/vocalist Peter Benjamin, drummer David Gray and bassist Sam Loynes (all former members of Akercocke) with a mission to create a deep brand of cold and confronting music, part hypnotic yet often disturbing, focusing from an avant-garde take upon black metal, whilst always striving to explore a wide musical spectrum.
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Born from the ashes of much missed extremists Akercoke, Voices have proven a near ever present on the UK live scene in the last couple of years, yet upholding a sense of enigma and intrigue. Musically they prove all the more abrasive than most, through sheer venom, their unpredictable nature and their uncompromising boldness; a boldness that sees them take on a concept album on their second outing, and a sprawling metropolis of one at that.
London (Candlelight) follows an anti-hero like figure through the dark underground of this nation’s capital, a cold and grim tale within the dissonant and complex City, exploring his mental state, his sexual craving and his ultimate isolation. Far from being a story based on pure fantasy and whimsy, the overall setting and feel to proceedings is so organic and could easily have been a true account. Various spoken word interludes increase the almost cinematic experience as they interchange from male narrator and the news reader delivery of the female, one that paints a vivid picture of London’s dark side as often seen in the media.
Conceptually this is a mammoth prospect and it is perfectly matched sonically in both mood and diversity. Beginning with pure melancholy with the acoustic opener ‘Suicide Note’ is a surprising start which lulls you in before ‘Music For The Recently Bereaved’ quite simply erupts in a white, fist flying, rage. Like the urban jungle of its namesake, each turn proves capricious as dynamics quickly change, paces slow and quicken again in a breath as it simultaneously terrifies and hypnotizes. Vocally this shows a huge plethora of styles beyond most of their black/death metal peers, veering from both guttural and shrill growls and screeches, to an eerie, Scott Walker like croon.
The roots of the majority of this unit may have history together in Akercocke (David Gray, Sam Loynes and Peter Benjamin all previous members) but this is still a new band in some sense of infancy yet with an already formidable reputation and artistic vision. London is a tremendous feat which not only surpasses expectations, but buries them deep underground, and album that sees Voices as not only one of the UK’s but the world’s most forward thinking and captivating extreme acts, and should be seen as a benchmark release.
Huge in scope and style, but pulled off with astonishing effect.
9.0/10
CHRIS TIPPELL