Ducks Battle Satan

Fuck me dead. This is the most evil thing I’ve heard. Seriously. I am so going to Mass tomorrow. I need to repent. Merely playing this I’m sure is summoning the Dark Lord. In a previous post I said that I didn’t know whether to take this doom stuff seriously or not. After listening to this, I fucking do now.

I mean holy shit. This is just suffocating. It’s fucking doom with a capital D. It makes Black One sound like the Wiggles.

I chanced across this on Wednesday. I hadn’t realised this had even been released and I struggled to find much info on it. I bought the CD version which is over two discs. The first disc is apparently the same two tracks that were released on the vinyl version of Oracle. The second disc is one long 46 minute track called Helio)))sophist. The liner notes state that this track is an audial collage of live performances from July 2005.

To give you an idea of what this record is all about I’ve ripped the following off the Southern Lord website.

ORAKULUM was originally composed for a live performance collaboration with the New York sculptor Banks Violette at the Maureen Paley Gallery in London, June of 06. Violette created sculptural representation of SUNN O)))s entire backline in cast resin and salt, including amplifier stacks, instruments, effects & accompaniments. In addition, black laquered stage platforms and sound panels were created as a basis for the groups actual backline setup, and a selection of drawings were presented within the context. The result of this performance and collaboration, which was conducted in a sealed gallery space, was intended to generate a feeling of absence, loss and a phantom of what once was.The A side of this lp: BELUROL PUSZTIT was also recorded at this session. Initially this song was created for the “Jukebox Buddha” compilation as it features the use of the tone generating Buddha Boxes within the track. In the style of Sunn 0))) these boxes were run through the sunn backline and recorded at maximum volume which of course yielded maximum results! BELUROL PUSZTIT ” also features extra “instrumentation” from Atsuo Mizuno (Boris) on drums and Joe Preston (Earth, Melvins, Thrones) on jackhammer.

Let’s go through this helpful note together and I’ll point out my favourite understatement of the year: The result of this performance and collaboration, which was conducted in a sealed gallery space, was intended to generate a feeling of absence, loss and a phantom of what once was. This statement does not do this “performance” justice. I’d just like to add that Oracle is my new bench mark for bleak. Well bleak with added demon noises to be accurate. Or to strive for total accuracy, Oracle contains the closest representation of a tortured soul ever recorded. Plain bleakness is, of course, represented by Earth’s Hex. It’s a pretty compelling sound and even though it un-nerves me I keep going back for more.

For what it’s worth the second disc is also pretty great. It’s SunnO))) doing what they do best. Here’s the rub though. This 2 disc version is a limited edition of 2000. I mean what is the point of that. I fucking hate this exclusive bullshit.

I find it faintly amusing when a month is renamed in support of some event or other. In Australia we have Movemeber where men get sponsored to grow mustaches for a month in support of mental health awareness (and something to do with prostates I think). I’ve also been a fan of Wonkette’s Cocktober and Blowvember which celebrate the latest Republican sex scandal. So to get in the spirit and due to my hatred of Christmas I give you Doomember.

White 2 is a companion piece for White 1. In some ways it’s a better record but not nearly as accessible as it’s predecessor. You basically get the same bang for your buck. Three extremely lengthy meditations in doom. Hell-O)))-Ween is massive power cord after massive powercord. It’s kind of like watching miso soup settle. It kind of churns back onto itself until it’s an ominous cloud suspended in …….. well if I keep with my miso soup analogy, fish stock I suppose. The next track is completely different. bassAliens is exactly what it says on the packet. An ambient subsonic doom feast. Don’t bother holding out for the big power chord, it’s never going to happen. The final track gives the heads up to where Sunnn O))) would head to with Black One. All frightening, creepy, black metalish doom. Evil evil evil. I still prefer White 1 and Flight of the Behemoth makes me all giddy when I think about those Merzbow tracks, but White 2 shows a band never willing to stand still and rest on their laurels.