(written by Islander)
My selections today were guided by strong memories, many of them quite distant and others more recent. And the music below is strong enough to make new memories. I’ll explain as we go along.
P.S. Be forewarned: There’s more than a little singing in this Saturday’s collection, especially in the closing segments, and it’s all very good! Continue reading »
(written by Islander)
“Industrial-tinged Doom with vocals in the style of Chris Cornell, Chino Moreno, and Thou. FFO: Conan, NIN, Radiohead & Failure.” That’s the intriguing elevator pitch for the music of the Chicago-based one-man band Beware of Gods and the band’s new album Upon Whom The Last Light Descends II: Amnesia Island.
As the album title signifies, it’s the second installment in a four-part work, a conceptual work inspired by ‘The Blind Idiot God’ from the HP Lovecraft mythos known as Azathoth — “a malevolently indifferent Infinite Creator of Chaos re-imagined as the Looming Dread treading all of Us which can only be overcome by turning to face it.”
We’re told that other literary and film inspirations include: Dune,The Matrix, Dracula, Demian, Mad Max, Blade Runner, Jonah & The Whale, and Foundation.
While “industrial-tinged doom” is a decent shorthand for the music, it’s also too limiting. There’s another combination of invocations in the band’s bio that’s more evocative: “Cosmic Horror / SCI FI / Psych / Myth / Noir“.
Hopefully, the foregoing paragraphs have effectively teased you into listening to a song from the new album we’re premiering today, even if you missed Beware of God‘s first album, because this new song really is one you should not miss. Continue reading »