Sometimes I see a name of a band / project and I know I just have to hear what that name sounds like. Praying For Oblivion, Blod, Pestdemon have all been such names in the (recent) past...and now Trepaneringsritualen. Excellent name. I have been too late to get some of the releases - ultra limited tapes, just last week I missed out getting the "Veil The World" tape on some Polish label limited to 40 only...so I was overjoyed when I managed to get a copy of the tape "Martyrium" on American label Small Doses. (Snapped up the new Kinit Her CD album at the same time). The cassette is a C40, packaged in a fold out sleeve, it comes allegedly with a 10 sided fold-out insert with artwork and info....but my copy didn't. The release is limited to 136 copies.
Are Trepaneringsritualen as good as their name? Hell, yes! Research tells me that Trepaneringsritualen is the solo project of Thomas Ekelund formerly of Dead Letters Spell Out Dead Words...which (let's face it) is an awful name. Still, I saw a band called How Much Wood Could A Woodchuck Chuck If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Wood listed on some noise site the other day...bloody awful name. OK, it's a Herzog film...but it's still a bloody awful name.
The tape starts with "Death Reveler" (I'm getting titles from Discogs). A pounding bass and base rhythm with distorted vocals. Metal percussion leads the track into madness. The sound is immediate and grabbing. "The Blood Of the New Covenant" has a more claustrophobic sound. An infested pulse beat and swarming insect sound lead us into a flat field. A voice tape evokes old school power electronics, Genocide Organ etc. It all ends on the sound of sharpening knives. Like track one "Plague Of Persecution" reminds me of Hunting Lodge. Not a bad thing. This track (the longest on the cassette) is built around low frequencies meeting electronic rumblings with controlled feedback. We're in a dark ambient place here. "Eucharist Of Piss And Shit" ends the tape. A short blast of throbbing noise and shouting, with metal percussion thrown about for maximum pleasure. Cracking stuff. I knew a band / project with such an excellent name wouldn't let me down.
If you can find any Trepaneringsritualen releases my advice is to get them.
Pictures:
1: Trepaneringsritualen Logo.
2: "Matyrium" Cover.
3: "Matyrium" Inner Artwork.
Thanks for the review, Steve. Sorry for the lack of insert. Drop me a line at joe [at] small-doses [.] com and I will get you sorted. cheers!
ReplyDeleteThe first Trepaneringsritual tape Ritualer, Blot Och Botgöring will be re-released on vinyl later this year by a joint venture from Strömkarlen and Verlautbarung. /jonas
ReplyDeleteThanks for that information Monogbg - Verlautbarung is shaping up to be an excellent label with some essential releases!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the insert Joe - much appreciated.