SONIC ABUSE REVIEW:
Released via Shame Michael Broderick’s
label, Lascivious Aesthetics, this split EP from Corephallism and Gnaw
their tongues, complete with cover art depicting a naked torso bound in
wire, seems to be a perfect pairing of dark ambient acts. Not only the
label owner, but also the mastermind behind Corephallism’s metallic
soundscapes, Shame Michael Broderick has cunningly crafted the sort of
rare release that will have collectors of obscure noise salivating madly
until they manage to track down one of these stunning 10” records.
Of the music on offer, Corephallism
provide two tracks – ‘Abandonment’ and ‘Rapes of convenience’. The first
of these tracks is a profane work that relies on subtle hymnal
overtones to create a mood that is filled with dark wonder and
quasi-religious symbolism. The haunting drone that opens the track is
slowly augmented by a deep, warm bass line that throbs and swells before
scratchy, distorted noises, riven with feedback, tear across the
surface. It recalls elements of J K Flesh and Sunn 0))), and its subtle,
meandering nature does little to prepare you for the scarifying assault
of ‘rapes of convenience’ which opens amidst drones of white-hot
feedback and then proceeds to take you on a terrifying tour of the
psyche via the screeching horror of Axis of Perdition and Lou Reed’s
‘metal machine music’. Somewhere between the ramped up tension of the
Pyscho soundtrack and a dentist’s drill, ‘Rapes of convenience’ is a
soundscape that you don’t necessarily understand but feel, deep within
your gut, as tendrils of fear creep across the surface of your skin and
leave you covered in goose bumps and deeply, irrationally unnerved.
On the flip side Gnaw their tongues (the
project of the flying Dutchman Maurice De Jong) offer up just one track
– ‘a moral guide to self-castration and necrophilia’ – which builds
upon the mordant, oppressive atmosphere of degradation that was built up
by Corephillia with echoing, ambient effects and throbbing bass. Not so
much a musical endeavour as the auditory simulation of your worst
nightmare, it is fair to say that few will enjoy the work of gnaw their
tongues, but none could fail to be affected by the psychologically
scarring sounds contained within. A lengthy, utterly unrepentant work of
malevolence and ugliness, Gnaw Their Tongues is more effective in its
formless assault upon the listeners imagination than any number of
Hollywood ‘torture porn’ movies could even be – you have been warned.
This split EP is absolutely not for the
easily intimidated. The flesh crawling drones and distorted horrors that
lurk within are liable to induce a sense of dread not easily shed even
in daylight. A slithering, white-bellied horror that lurks in the
subconscious, the oppressive weight of the music is palpable, and not
easily forgotten once experienced. Fans of either act will undoubtedly
be enthralled and, for those not familiar with either artist, this will
undoubtedly appeal to fans of Sunn 0))), Khanate and Axis of Perdition.
An experience that lives long after the music has ended, this is a Split
EP that will haunt your dreams.
SANTA SANGRE MAGAZINE REVIEW:
The second Lascivious Aesthetics release we have the perverse
pleasure of reviewing, is the vinyl split of Corephallism and Gnaw Their
Tongues from the Netherlands, already known to us from the first
mini-CD and recognized within certain circles, but with virgin status in
our magazine. This is not a full-length release, just a few minutes of
music. But the concentration of deprivation and degeneration here is so
high that for many, even these few may be too long.
Corephallism’s segment begins. It starts in an amazing style, with a
poignant drone, announcing a nightmare we’ll soon enter in. A nightmare
free of devils and demons, limited to the cramped basement of a small
house in the suburbs. Later the ambient part is joined by a raging
maelstrom of noise and prepared human voice – all these elements flow in
parallel like cruelty and fear, power and obedience, helplessness and
indulgence of base instincts. This is “Abandonment”, a strong, really
powerful piece of ambient / power electronics.
The second Corephallism track is called “Rapes Of Convenience”. It’s a
phenomenal, terrifying monument, where metallic scrapings, distortions
and inhuman vocals huddle up against each other forming an impenetrable
wall, the wall on which you’ll tear your nails off, desperately trying
to get out of this basement. Both Corephallism tracks I like a hell lot
more than those on the mini-CD. I don’t know why, but within all this
disgusting filth they offer something tempting. Maybe it’s the ability
to manipulate moods, building the proper atmosphere? “Rapes Of
Convenience” is brilliantly constructed, and the most impressive moment
for me is this pause, the few seconds of stillness in the middle – a
respite before the next wave of torture, which floods the victim with a
vengeance.
Gnaw Their Tongues presents a more abstract approach to the subject –
the title reveals a lot: “A Moral Guide To Self-Castration And
Necrophilia”. Well, after the aforementioned procedure, it’s rather
difficult to think clearly and lucidly, all secondary stimuli merge into
a shapeless mass, external factors don’t matter, it’s all about pain,
dominant over anything else. Guitar distortions, rumbling piles of scrap
metal, irregular strokes of some iron junk, roars of both victim and
tormentor, stench and chaos. Corephallism’s side made a greater
impression on me, but I can’t deny Gnaw Their Tongues’ ability to create
an evocative mood.
The Dutch project doesn’t need to provef anything. On this 10” Gnaw
Their Tongues simply confirmed its style. Yet I want more of
Corephallism, because what Shane has done in these two pieces literally
blew my head off my neck, and then I had to look for it around the room.
Great, terrible, fascinating few minutes of perverse, beautiful
abomination.
THE SLEEPING SHAMAN REVIEW:
What a disturbing little 10” this turned out to be, split between Corephallism
(the alter ego of Shane Michael Broderick – member of Boston based
noise/grind project Twodeadsluts Onegoodfuck) and the omnipresent power
electronics/black metal pioneer that is Gnaw Their Tongues.
Before receiving this vile slab of wax, Corephallism was an unknown
entity to me, a little bit of digging revealed Mr. Broderick’s
connections and I braced myself for what I expected to be earsplitting
noise complete with frenzied grind vocals akin to his other musical
endeavors. Instead, the introduction to this E.P totally blindsided me
with its rich analogue tones that rise and contort before subtle shards
of noise enter the mix, gradually building in intensity, yet never
tipping over into the realm of true harsh noise. The piece is
surprisingly evocative, albeit drenched in bleak and suffocating
atmospheres, creating a feeling of dread deep in the pit of your
stomach; however that feeling is quickly quashed as the piece is over
before delving any further into the abyss, a short but meticulously
crafted opener.
Enter the second track ‘Rapes of Convenience’ and any suggestions of
subtly are blown right out of the water as a huge swathe of noise hits
you square in the face, topped off with whispered, strangulated vocals
that hypnotically weave their way around the main body of sound. The
main problem here is that the tracks are really short, just as you are
getting sucked into their dismal sonic tapestry; the trip is abruptly
brought to an end…however the music that is put across here is genuinely
un-settling stuff and certainly sparks an interest in hearing a full
length effort from Corephallism in the future.
Flipping over to the B-side and you are faced with the legendary one
man holocaust that is Gnaw Their Tongues, aka Maurice De Jong (although
he generally credits himself as just ‘Mories’ on most recordings), with
the track ‘A Moral Guide To Self-Castration and Necrophilia’. Taking up
the entirety of the B-side, the track creeps in with samples of old,
industrial machinery, whirring and clattering away, before shards of
noise start scratching away on the surface. As the noise gradually
envelopes the underlying industrial elements, Mories adds his trademark
black metal influenced vocals to the fray, off set by disconcerting
subsonic frequencies and harsh disjointed tones that jolt your senses
and makes you feel altogether uncomfortable and somewhat delirious at
the same time. Again, as experienced with Corephallism, just as the
track begins to peak, the madness slowly fades away leaving you
wondering what the hell just happened…
As far as the Gnaw Their Tongues contribution is concerned, it is
certainly not his best piece of work to date, but serves as a good (even
though somewhat subdued) introduction to his particularly grim sonic
vision. The Corephallism side is certainly the better of the two,
showcasing a real talent for creating some truly harrowing dark ambience
which in turn is well worth your attention.
FORBIDDEN MAGAZINE REVIEW:
What begins as soft and serene quickly turns razor sharp and
unsettling on this disturbing split album from two of the more infamous
names in the noise genre. The attention grabbing cover art may be enough
to give one a subconsious suggestion of what lies on the album, with
its bound subject appearing unclothed and unattractive. Corephallism’s
sense of foreboding and menace coupled with Gnaw Their Tongues
horror-esque atmosphere provide a soundtrack for sick minds everywhere.
A part of me has been hesitant to write this review, to be quite
honest. Ninety percent of the material that crosses my desk can be
surmised with simple adjectives like ‘grim’, ‘brutal’ or ‘furious’,
hence my recent tendency to focus on interviews and reach beyond my own
drab commentary. This album is not one to easily estimate: gone are
earth shaking rhythm sections, screaming guitar and monotonous lyrical
attacks. No song structure is here to be followed, nor is it welcome.
Corephallism’s ‘Abandonment’ opens with a somber organ and soon swells
with a menacing bass pattern before a crackling madness disrupts the
serenity to foreshadow a relentless and savage storm. ‘Rapes of
Convenience’ is quicker to the point, suffocating its unseen victim with
round after round of heartless ambiance, whispered words and muffled
crying. Over as quickly as it began, Corephallism leaves and impression
that is not soon forgotten.
Gnaw Their Tongues offers a solitary song on this release and, in
doing so, provide more ‘grim’ atmosphere than many bands do with ten
times as much. ‘A Moral Guide to Self-castration and Necrophilia’ brings
about memories of the stamping factory, with its 7 story ceilings and
endless halls filled and stacked with nothing but dark and heavy steel
and iron, echoing into infinity. As the track progresses, the foreboding
atmosphere grows with one hammer strike after another.Terrorized
screams, distorted words and disturbing imagery all pass across the
listener’s conscious mind. How few of us can hear this artist and
remained unchanged?
With all people striving in vain to isolate themselves from one
another and claim their individuality, little time is spent analyzing
what really makes us all so much alike. On the surface, mankind is quick
to fall victim to fashion and fads to be unique among the crowd,
knowing damn good and well that what we hide inside is universal: our
pain and our suffering. This album dips a proverbial paintbrush into the
raw stuff and with few broad strokes, lays it bear for all to witness.
BLACK AUDIO WEBZINE REVIEW:
Neat little split 10” here opening up with the ambient tones of
Corephallism. It doesn’t take long for inky drones to layer themselves
thickly upon themselves before an undercurrent of machine grinding noise
fills in the gaps underneath, giving ‘Abandonment’ some weight and
setting the bar fairly high for the rest of the proceedings.
‘Rapes of Convenience’ is up next, smoothly taking off from where the
opening number left us. This time its an ever so slightly visceral
angle grinder of noise, that whilst remaining caustic does not overtake
the balance of frostily harsh vocals and chimes of sound that echo like
an old iron gate coming to a close. Corephallism clearly has his head
screwed on with the mix and the end result is more than impressive.
Gnaw Their Tongues is next up with his range of Dark Ambient with a
smattering of Power Electronics. This time everything has a more field
recordings ethos, as I feel this is where he got the main body of work
to build a foundation. Whilst remaining a very good representation
generically, ‘A Moral Guide to Self-Castration and Necrophilia’ does
become awash in its own surroundings and whilst being more than
competent does surrender to the fact that his partner in crime produced a
more cohesive and intelligent counterpart to this release.
Overall though, this is a quality collectors’ item for the avid noise
aficionado, with a finely tuned balance between the harsh and
oppressively bleak.
