Blood Axis
Blot (Sacrifice in Sweden)
[Cold Meat Industry]
Tracklisting:
1. Sarabande Oratoria
2. Herjafather
3. Seeker
4. Electricity
5. Lord of Ages
6. The March of Brian Boru
7. The Gospel of Inhumanity
8. Eternal Soul
9. Between Birds of Prey
10. Reign I Forever
11. The Hangman and the Papist
12. Storm of Steel
(total playing time 69:39)
This CD is the recording of a concert Blood Axis gave in Sweden, November 1997. They don't do that too often and I think that anyone who was there has witnessed something unique, for the power on this recording is sometimes physical. Blood Axis is the project of Michael Moynihan, who is among the metal crowd best known as the author of the infamous 'Lords of Chaos'. They have another CD called 'The Gospel of Inhumanity' with which I am unfamiliar (it is also reviewed here by Boris) so I can't compare the live versions of the songs with the studio versions. However that might turn out, I think this is no redundant live album at all.
Blood Axis use many different elements from various kinds of music to communicate their concept. Blood Axis are not a political band, but they use some symbols and ideas that could be labeled 'totalitarian' or 'fascistic' even by more paranoid members of our dear community. Let's just say that they have got a vision and do not fear to empower that with the necessary 'extreme' iconography (in the words of the mainstream at least). But what am I babbling about, it's merely a few st. Olav's-crosses and the like. Clearly their views are of a heathen nature with various references to norse mythology. I'll do a track-by track review because some of the tracks differ very much, however, this kind of thing must be experienced as a whole.
1. Sarabande Oratoria: in front of an impressive organ piece by J.S. Bach, we can hear a powerful speech about the 'true character of the revolutionary'. I was told it was Oswald Mosley speaking, an British politician from around the 30s who was an admirer of Hitler. I don't know much about his ideas, but he certainly seems to be a talented speaker.
2. Herjafather is a kind of ritualistic offering: a church organ plays a few notes over and over again while some phrases are repeated along to it. In between the songs, often the wind can be heard, together with the howling of wolves... It gives a very desolate feel.
3. While the wind is thundering around you and the cries of the wolf fade away, a moody folkish tune, comprised of accoustic guitar and violin starts. The lyrics are about Odhinn, father of the gods.
4. 'Electricity' is more ambient-ish: spoken words by Michael Moynihan, full of reverb, over a few low-end synth lines and some operatic chants. Occasionally a bass drum is used for a few rhythmic accents. It is a very atmospheric piece.
5. This starts out the same way as 4., with a few synths, the violin, rhythmically driven by a few bass (?) drum kicks. Somewhere in the middle it changes into a triumphant marching tune.
6. This is an Irish traditional, a merry violin melody on the compelling tom rhythm. What is distressing about this however, is that the eerie sound of the wind in the chasm and the wolves plays in the background, to a wonderful effect.
7. 'The Gospel of Inhumanity' starts with the distant speaking of a leader of the past (Franco? Mussolini?) talking about 'nostre patria' (that's the only thing I can make of it). A dark atmosphere is created when synths play minor chords, on top of which the violin plays the individual notes of those same chords. And always, the wind is howling through the mountains...
8. And then, suddenly, 'Eternal Soul' starts, a weird proggish happy tune with Moynihans dreary vocals giving it a weird twist. I'm not sure if I like this song yet. It's totally unfitting in the chain the previous songs have created.
9. 'Birds of Prey' is more 'avant-garde'... Moynihan holds a speech about Zarathustra (the prophet, the main character in 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' by F.W. Nietzsche) and underneath a mournful and simplistic synth line (it sounds like a sample from a movie soundtrack or something) plays on and on for 8 minutes, with still the baying of wolves, far away. Disturbing, also because of its length.
10. After 9., 'Reign I Forever' is a monument of power... A thunderstorm with lots of rain is crashing down upon us, together with the organ used in 2... A distorted electric guitar starts to play along with the organ and the mighty 'Montagues and Capulets' motive by Prokofiev from his opera 'Romeo and Juliet' is swelling... This should be played very loud... A great song, bombastic and powerful.
11. A march/folk-like tune, pretty good.
12. 'Storm of Steel' is another powerful song. All the elements come together again here; the guitar, the commanding synths, the beautiful violin, the powerful voice of Moynihan, the rhythmic accents and the samples... Over a low guitar line Moynihan calls forth a Storm of Steel in quite a compelling way. After this the gig is supposedly over, at least the CD is (unfortunately).
The album comes beautifully packaged in a neat 'disc-slider'. There's no lyrics in the booklet, but some beautiful pictures of the gig on high-quality paper and a few depictions of parts of germanic sagas.
Reading this review cost you probably more time than going out to the store and buy/order the damn thing, so what are you waiting for!!
© 2000 dwaallicht
1. Sarabande Oratoria
2. Herjafather
3. Seeker
4. Electricity
5. Lord of Ages
6. The March of Brian Boru
7. The Gospel of Inhumanity
8. Eternal Soul
9. Between Birds of Prey
10. Reign I Forever
11. The Hangman and the Papist
12. Storm of Steel
(total playing time 69:39)
This CD is the recording of a concert Blood Axis gave in Sweden, November 1997. They don't do that too often and I think that anyone who was there has witnessed something unique, for the power on this recording is sometimes physical. Blood Axis is the project of Michael Moynihan, who is among the metal crowd best known as the author of the infamous 'Lords of Chaos'. They have another CD called 'The Gospel of Inhumanity' with which I am unfamiliar (it is also reviewed here by Boris) so I can't compare the live versions of the songs with the studio versions. However that might turn out, I think this is no redundant live album at all.
Blood Axis use many different elements from various kinds of music to communicate their concept. Blood Axis are not a political band, but they use some symbols and ideas that could be labeled 'totalitarian' or 'fascistic' even by more paranoid members of our dear community. Let's just say that they have got a vision and do not fear to empower that with the necessary 'extreme' iconography (in the words of the mainstream at least). But what am I babbling about, it's merely a few st. Olav's-crosses and the like. Clearly their views are of a heathen nature with various references to norse mythology. I'll do a track-by track review because some of the tracks differ very much, however, this kind of thing must be experienced as a whole.
1. Sarabande Oratoria: in front of an impressive organ piece by J.S. Bach, we can hear a powerful speech about the 'true character of the revolutionary'. I was told it was Oswald Mosley speaking, an British politician from around the 30s who was an admirer of Hitler. I don't know much about his ideas, but he certainly seems to be a talented speaker.
2. Herjafather is a kind of ritualistic offering: a church organ plays a few notes over and over again while some phrases are repeated along to it. In between the songs, often the wind can be heard, together with the howling of wolves... It gives a very desolate feel.
3. While the wind is thundering around you and the cries of the wolf fade away, a moody folkish tune, comprised of accoustic guitar and violin starts. The lyrics are about Odhinn, father of the gods.
4. 'Electricity' is more ambient-ish: spoken words by Michael Moynihan, full of reverb, over a few low-end synth lines and some operatic chants. Occasionally a bass drum is used for a few rhythmic accents. It is a very atmospheric piece.
5. This starts out the same way as 4., with a few synths, the violin, rhythmically driven by a few bass (?) drum kicks. Somewhere in the middle it changes into a triumphant marching tune.
6. This is an Irish traditional, a merry violin melody on the compelling tom rhythm. What is distressing about this however, is that the eerie sound of the wind in the chasm and the wolves plays in the background, to a wonderful effect.
7. 'The Gospel of Inhumanity' starts with the distant speaking of a leader of the past (Franco? Mussolini?) talking about 'nostre patria' (that's the only thing I can make of it). A dark atmosphere is created when synths play minor chords, on top of which the violin plays the individual notes of those same chords. And always, the wind is howling through the mountains...
8. And then, suddenly, 'Eternal Soul' starts, a weird proggish happy tune with Moynihans dreary vocals giving it a weird twist. I'm not sure if I like this song yet. It's totally unfitting in the chain the previous songs have created.
9. 'Birds of Prey' is more 'avant-garde'... Moynihan holds a speech about Zarathustra (the prophet, the main character in 'Thus Spake Zarathustra' by F.W. Nietzsche) and underneath a mournful and simplistic synth line (it sounds like a sample from a movie soundtrack or something) plays on and on for 8 minutes, with still the baying of wolves, far away. Disturbing, also because of its length.
10. After 9., 'Reign I Forever' is a monument of power... A thunderstorm with lots of rain is crashing down upon us, together with the organ used in 2... A distorted electric guitar starts to play along with the organ and the mighty 'Montagues and Capulets' motive by Prokofiev from his opera 'Romeo and Juliet' is swelling... This should be played very loud... A great song, bombastic and powerful.
11. A march/folk-like tune, pretty good.
12. 'Storm of Steel' is another powerful song. All the elements come together again here; the guitar, the commanding synths, the beautiful violin, the powerful voice of Moynihan, the rhythmic accents and the samples... Over a low guitar line Moynihan calls forth a Storm of Steel in quite a compelling way. After this the gig is supposedly over, at least the CD is (unfortunately).
The album comes beautifully packaged in a neat 'disc-slider'. There's no lyrics in the booklet, but some beautiful pictures of the gig on high-quality paper and a few depictions of parts of germanic sagas.
Reading this review cost you probably more time than going out to the store and buy/order the damn thing, so what are you waiting for!!
© 2000 dwaallicht