Sunday, February 28, 2010

Absolute Zero Media on "Territories"

Link Here.

As you all clearly know I really like this Blackened Drone/ Industrial/ Noise band very much with this release the seem to have collabed with many people to make a more Noise/ Industrial meets jazzy release then the Drone Doom/ Noise that I know them for.. The line up of guests is very impressive and covers the metal, industrial and avant scenes . Andrew Scherer (VELNIAS), Mark Solotroff (BLOODYMINDED), Bruce Lamont (YAKUZA), and Blake Judd (NACHTMYSTIUM). Territories is all over the place as for the styles though as track 3 is a full on Black metal assault on the senses. Were some of tracks are just a Black Drone or noise manipulation. Locrian is always going to be interesting to me and many listeners as they refund to be in any kind of mold or style. Locrian is just that there Locrian and this is what makes a release like this so special.

Friday, February 26, 2010

"Inverted Ruins" Track Preview and Other News

Here's another track from "Territories." This track features Mark Solotroff on vocals and synths, and Andrew Scherer on drums. Expect this LP to be available for purchase sometime next week.

We'll be playing tracks from the album on Sunday at the Exit Club as we DJ for the Chicago Metal Factory. More information here. We'll be playing music as of 10:00pm.

André Foisy and Steven Hess will be playing a duo set tomorrow in Milwaukee at the Sugar Maple. The show is at 8:00pm and Mako Sica will also be playing. It's free too.

Also, we've been getting a lot of requests for the "Drenched Lands" tape. We are all out of these, but it seems as if Small Doses still has copies. I expect that those tapes will be available from Small Doses when "Territories" is released.

Show Last Night

Thanks to everyone who came out last night and thanks to Steven Hess for playing with us and making us sound good.

We had a blast!

We just found another write-up for the show at crustcake.

"Territories" will be on sale very soon.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Show Tonight: Locrian/SunSplitter/Neil Jendon/Insect Control

Cold Cave and Hair Police canceled this show at the last minute, but it looks like the Bottle has thrown together a killer lineup anyway.

Thursday February 25, 2010
The Empty Bottle
1035 N. Western Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60622
773.276.3600
http://www.emptybottle.com/
9:30 PM
$3.00 in advance/$5.00 at door
21+

Time Out Chicago Write-up here.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Dennis Cooper on Terence Hannum and LOD #7

Link here.

New Releases Imminent

From Small Doses.

Looks like Small Doses will be selling some of the "Drenched Lands" tapes any day now.

Looks like "Terrritories" has been listed on discogs now.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

"Drenched Lands" Review from Just Wanna Rock.net





With the upcoming release of Locrian’s new album (A March 1st 2010 release on ‘At War With False Noise’) I thought it would be a good idea to re-visit their previous cd ‘Drenched Lands’ for those who are not familiar with this great band.

Locrian are an ambient metal/electronics/noise band from Chicago and they have a created a work of art with ‘Drenched Lands’

A lovely looking package encases the music, giving you an aesthetically pleasing start before you have even played the cd.

Once it’s in you are taken on a journey, a very dark journey. Ambient music and in many ways drone and noise often impart a feeling of otherworldliness. They let the listener drift away into a dreamlike state that merges with the music that can often be a unique and cherished experience.
The artwork and atmosphere of the music lend a post-apocalyptic feel to this album. I feel that each listener will have his own personal experience when listening to this piece of music but for me I was taken on a trip through a deserted and lonely American landscape. Images of backwoods towns and cities devoid of life passed before me.

The music is at times beautiful and haunting yet can often turn eerie and then terrifying.
My favourite moments of the album were the 2nd track, where surreal haunting guitar plays in the distance whilst undulating low end frequencies churn away in the foreground, bringing to mind the soundtrack to the Henk Hervey’s 1962 horror classic ‘Carnival of Souls’... and for more horror soundtrack moments, the last track of the cd is reminiscent of 80’s synth masters John Carpenter and Fabio Frizzi.

Locrian are masters of their art and know when to play it cool and when to go for the jugular and ramp up the tension. This really is a brilliant album and one that will be enjoyed by those wanting an intelligent and atmospheric experience.

II eagerly await the arrival of their newest work in a couple of months, and make sure you tune into www.justwannarock.net for a review when released.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

"Territories" Update

The "Territories" LPs, covers, and insert arrived in Chicago last week. We've shipped all the parts to the labels releasing this.

We expect that the LP will be available for order as of early/mid next week.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul

Anyone have a Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul that you want to part with? It doesn't have to be awesome, just a Gibson or Epiphone Les Paul

Please get in touch: landofdecay@gmail.com

It's URGENT!

Locrian/Harpoon 7" (HWC Inc.) from Cosmo Lee Invisible Oranges

I've never been one for 7"s; I'll always be an album guy. So it's rare that a 7" comes along and becomes something I listen to repeatedly, given my new music queue that's perpetually in triple digits.

This one had two strikes against it. First, it wasn't much to look at. That's important to me for vinyl. If you're using paper, plastic, and petroleum to manufacture a product, especially one that's larger than CD size, it had better have great visuals. And this one has a blah, almost monotone cover — I'm posting a flyer for an upcoming show instead — though the marble green vinyl might appeal to some.

Second, it had Harpoon on it. I know I said that bands aren't things to hate, but I hated Harpoon's Double Gnarly/Triple Suicide album. Drum machine grind is not my thing at all. The drum machine aspect usually drives me nuts, but the annoyance is minimal here. The production doesn't sound plastic, and the fantastic guitar work takes precedence. There are Megadeth-style spiky runs, haunting droning, and a mix of vulnerability and relentlessness that recalls Pig Destroyer. This is music with feeling, which I rarely get from drum machine grind. Color me pleasantly surprised.

Harpoon - Song 13 CD (excerpt)
Locrian - Antediluvian Territory (excerpt)

Locrian are automatic base hits for me. While I don't mind dark ambient/noise stuff, it often feels disposable or interchangeable for me. Locrian, however, have always stood out for me, thanks to their attention to detail. Amid the requisite washes and eerie noises, they stick in bits — subtle production touches or guitar melodies — that give tracks shape and meaning. Locrian tracks always make me think and feel, and their two tracks here are no exception. The big winner is "Antediluvian Territory," which has crystalline, echoing guitars that recall MGR, the solo project of Isis' Mike Gallagher.

This is the last physical release for Hewhocorrupts Inc. Appropriately for a Chicago label, the catalogue number is 23. It's a pressing of 300, with a download code good for two additional tracks.

— Cosmo Lee


Link here.

Monday, February 15, 2010

A Note [From Small Doses] on the "Drenched Lands" Tape and "Territories" LP

From Small Doses:

It seems that Deathsmile and Locrian are sold out of their copies. The small doses copies have not yet been made available, but will be in the not too distant future. Word will go out to the mailing list as soon as they are available. sign up in the google box on the right of this blog page.

The Locrian: Territories LPs have landed in Chicago. Terence and Andre from the band and Mark from Bloodlust are feverishly working on shipping and assembly. As soon as all of us label folk have them, we’ll set a release date. Shouldn’t be long now.

Unless I get some other things done first, the tapes might be released when the LP is. Stay tuned.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Auxiliary Out Radio Program 2/14/10

Thanks to Drew at Auxiliary Out for jamming a track from Locrian "Territories" on this week's Auxiliary Out radio show.

The play list from the show is below:

-------------------------------

Fair Conditioner “Intro” Meth [$elf Record$ 2009] (CD-r)

Yek Koo “Ring of Bone” I Saw Myself [Stunned 2010] (CS)

Kwan Jit Sriprajan “Panatibat” Siamese Soul: Thai Pop Spectacular Vol. 2 [Sublime Frequencies 2009] (CD)

Puffy Areolas “Lutzko Lives” Lutzko Lives [Columbus Discount 2009] (7”)

Albero Rovesciato “Destroyed Statue in Thousand Pieces/Scimitar Radispecchiodidio” Tigers on Acid in the Hell of the Brushwood [Singing Knives 2009] (CD)

Hammer of Hathor “Yucka Drucka (excerpt)” False Teef [Stunned 2009] (CS)

The Sultanas “You’re the One” You’re the One [Boom Boom of Renton 2006] (7”)

Sudden Oak “Tilt” Banquet Years [Stunned 2010] (CS)

Patriotic Window Klings “Guitargument” Guitargument [Speed Tapes 2009] (CS)

Bill Orcutt “Pocket Underground” A New Way to Pay Old Debts [Palilalia 2009] (LP)

Benjamin Franklin “Loupiotes” La Pente/Loupiotes [Lexi Disques 2008] (7”)

The Spits “Army Life” The Spits [Slovenly 2009] (7”)

Locrian “Between Barrows” Territories [At War With False Noise/Basses Frequencies/Bloodlust!/Small Doses forthcoming] (CD/LP)

Sean McCann “Pass Away” Open Resolve [Stunned 2010] (CS)

Ättestupa “Missväxt” 1867 [DNT 2009] (LP)

No Balls “Subsequent Needs” Come Clean [Release the Bats 2009] (LP)

Le Sang Song “Death vs. the Rich” Le Sang Song [Dragnet 2010] (LP)

Oneohtrix Point Never “Betrayed in the Octagon” Betrayed in the Octagon [No Fun 2009] (LP)

Bent Spoon Duo “Side B” Fossils of Slumber [Holy Cheever Church 2009] (CS)

Friday, February 12, 2010

Playlist for The Eternal Now with Andy Ortmann - February 10, 2010

Andy Ortmann played some ultra-rare Locrian stuff from 2006, apparently a live-set.

Looks like he played some other interesting stuff too: Sudden Infant, Current 93, Lasse Marhaug, and other interesting stuff.

You can download the podcast here: WMFU

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Thanks to Soul Sucker Radio and AudioDrome

Thanks to Soul Suckers Radio for the mention of the "Drenched Lands" tape.

Small Doses may have some of these tapes left.

Also, thanks to Audiodrome for mentioning "Territories" to the Italian world.

Locrian Interview w/ Special Interests



Here's the first page of a recent interview for Special Interests Magazine.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Heathen Harvest Review of "Rain of Ashes" Tape


Monday, February 01 2010 @ 02:00 AM PST
Contributed by: Vargr Wulf
Rain of Ashes

Artist: Locrian United States

Title: Rain of Ashes

Label: Fan Death Records United States

Genre:Experimental Rock/Electronic Drone

Track Listing:

01 Rain Of Ashes
02 Sehsa Fo Niar


Brilliant work from this heretofore unknown-to-me duo from Chicago. Fantastic improvisational dream music that lay somewhere between the vibes of Earth, Conrad Schnitzler, and Burzum. Judging from the beautiful live photograph accompanying this release, this is a duo consisting of a guitarist and a keyboardist with a fair amount of effects. This release consists of a single live track (on the illustrious WMUC no less) from this past summer forward on one side and backward on the other side. This release has really beautiful artwork on the front depicting a nightmarish swampy power grid surrounded by leafless trees. Locrian plays very atmospheric music with firm, metal-influenced guitar and all-encompassing keyboards, which build up and swell into violent crescendos that fade back into the mist as rapidly as they appear.

Music is performed improvisationally at a snail's pace ala the recent work of Dylan Carlson/Earth and the group named after the Sunn amps.

Grunting noise keyboards blend seamlessly with the guitar work in a particularly tense moment near the end of this release. The only vocals are of the screamed and tortured variety, and they pop in and out of the composition at will. Locrian blends a fair amount of power electronics sounds with and drone/black metal vibe, but along with these eerie and frightening sounds are ethereally beautiful stretches of otherworldly synthesizers that could have emerged from a Fripp and Eno record. And would you believe it, the whole thing sounds even better backwards, which is how it is presented on the B-side.

These guys have an LP coming out on Mark Solotroff's Bloodlust! label, that should be pretty magnificent. I am curious to hear the studio work of this project, as the musicianship on this live recording is exemplary. I have to say that both sides are fantastic, but that the backwards side is my personal favorite. Almost anything sounds better backwards, but in this stuff it really brings out a quality of mystical otherworldliness. Live music that you don't "have to be there" to enjoy, as there is much to get out of this fantastic recording. Fan Death Records could not have put together a nicer presentation for this amazing work from Locrian, whom I look forward to hearing more from.

New Locrian Interivew at Transmission



Locrian interview in the first issue of Transmission, a beautifully produced on-line publication from Portugal.

The issue is free too.

Also interviews with Black Sun, P.H.O.B.O.S., Wolfskin, Steel Hook Prostheses, and Sparagmos.



Thanks to André at Transmission for doing such a nice job on this.

Locrian/Harpoon 7" Review from 7inches Only

Locrian / Harpoon split on He Who Corrupts INC records














The image above hardly reproduces the embossed letter pressed sleeve, black ink on heavy black card stock. It's split in the middle on the reverse so you open both sides from the center, with both bands titles on either side of the cut, it's a really fitting heavy handmade object for these two ear splitters.

Unfamiliar with Harpoon I went to that side first which launches right in with tight speed grindcore...like I really know what that is...screamy evil vocals mixed loud, it's ridiculously complex and fast, could this be sampled and repeated? I doubt it, they are machinelike. But then, wait a minute, everything slows down a minute to work on the heavy side something like Pelican which makes the vocals come off even more evil...a lot of darkness, the faceless amputees/their wretched jubilee...that's an actual lyric. I won't be fucking with those guys anytime soon.

The Locrian side opens with a muted sliver of static, probably just the sound of the amps at 11 under the strain of the lines of pedals. Until a guitar heavily distorted and delayed breaks in. It's really epic, accessible even... melodic. They have a great vocal quality here, it's piled under tons of effects, that truly tortured feel, it's far back in an underground prison, echoing off the walls. It's a monstrosity of guitar noise, but really held back, deliberate...concentrated.
Andrew Sherer from Velnias is here heavily complicating the drums, but also holding back in all the right places. Even though this has been in the works for a while it sounds like it goes right along with their latest out in March, 'Territories', where they collaborated with a bunch of different noise/metal artists, hope that makes it to vinyl.

It gets right to the point, even at 33, they're compressing the epic landscape to the limit on this side.

I love the photos they've been including with all their releases, giant overgrown decayed factories, I love those places, I just want to get in there...at night. Completely abandoned. It's what I think Detroit must be like after all the fabricating companies all left. It's almost an alien landscape, you can't imagine what they were like when they functioned, it's like square footage porn for someone from Brooklyn. I would just go squat in that thing and build an ark...or get a generator and have Locrian play.

Get it from HeWhoCorruptsINC records, because sadly this is their last physical release. Haven't they heard? Vinyl is back!
I get it, this packaging, the puke swirl off green vinyl, the color insert, they aren't pulling any punches, this is so beautiful it probably emptied the accounts. This just is such a complete package, it's a loss for the object obsessed.

"A well executed mash up of two of Chicago’s more notable enterprises of loudness – the long coming Locrian / Harpoon split 7” is finally complete. The vinyl portion of the release includes one song each by both bands. The accompanying digital card provides additional bonus material. This is Harpoon’s first release with a bass player. As well, Locrian collaborates with Andrew Sherer of Velnias. The release is limited to 300 copies on marble green vinyl with full color double sided insert and letter pressed cover. This is our final physical release which has been in the works for quite some time."

Locrian at Scenepointblank

Locrain's track "Procession of Ancestral Brutalism" has been posted online here. The group features Blake Judd from Nachtmystium on guitars, Bruce Lamont from Yakuza on saxaphone, Mark Solotroff from Bloodyminded on vocals, and Andrew Scherer from Velnias on drums. The song is taken from the band's release, Territories.

Link here.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Land of Decay Related: BLACK ARTS zine by T. HANNUM


For those of you who so graciously picked up Terence's zine New Rites we released last month here is his most recent effort Black Arts fresh off of the blackened press...

BLACK ARTS /
zine of new drawings and photos by Terence Hannum

20 black pages, with a xeroxed black vellum cover in a black envelope sealed with black wax.

Edition of 50.
8.5" x 5.5"

$7ppd (US) / $9ppd (World)
PayPal: unluckyatlas (at) gmail (dot) com
if you are interested.


(Also check out his new video-art piece Offering.)

Friday, February 5, 2010

More Cover Images and Images of the Newly Arrived Inserts




















Cover Image





















Back Cover





















Insert: Tracklisting



















Insert: Lyrics

Thursday, February 4, 2010

"Procession of Ancestral Brutalism" Track Debut at Brooklyn Vegan

Short Wave Warfare (02/4/10) (previously Week in Metal)

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Abscess - "Dawn of Inhumanity" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Vasaeleth - "Wrathful Deities" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Apostle of Solitude - "December Drives Me To Tears" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Apostle of Solitude - "Hunter Sick Rapture" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Agrimonia - "The Decay" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Locrian - "Procession of Ancestral Brutalism" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hammers of Misfortune - "Freebird" (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Buzzov-en - "Mainline" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cobalt - "Scarred For Life" LIVE (MP3, Filth cover)
DOWNLOAD: Hooded Menace - "As The Creatures Ascend" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Zu - "Tom Araya Is Our Elvis" (MP3)

Locrian at Show No Mercy last Year (more by Justina Villanueva)
Locrian

Occupying the vast nothing at the crossroads of black metal, noise, ambient, and drone are Chicago duo Locrian. The band released Drenched Lands last year and are already prepping Territories via Small Doses in the US. The new effort features luminaries from the Chi scene performing their "most fully realized form of Locrian's dystopic vision"; look for Blake Judd (Nachtmystium), Mark Solotroff (Bloodyminded, Anatomy of Habit) Bruce Lamont (Yakuza), and Andrew Scherer (Velnias) to appear on the LP. Until that record hits your friendly neighborhood distro later this month, check out the first taste of the LP above, "Procession of Ancestral Brutalism". The band was recently interviewed by Black Rat Method.

"Territories" Covers In and Guarded!


Wednesday, February 3, 2010

"Territories" Covers

We just got the covers for "Territories" and we're just waiting on the inserts and the actual records. Should be any day now.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Update

Our LP sleeves for "Territories" have arrived. We expect the LP's to be coming in from the pressing plant any day now. Still can't believe that the sound on the test presses is so loud and that the LP is almost 50 minutes long.

James Plotkin just finished up the mastering work for our split LP with Century Plants that will be released through Tape Drift sometime in the next couple of months.

We also just listened to the mastered versions of the tracks that will be on our split 7" with Horseback that will be out through Turgid Animal.

The Century Plants and Horseback tracks on these releases are amazing.

Beau from Deathsmile/Hammer Smashed Sound did an interview with us for Special Interests magazine. Looks like those are available now.

We still have a few Drenched Lands tapes for sale so act quickly if you want to pick one of these up.

If you're in Chicago, then be sure to check out the show at the Empty Bottle tonight. It's looking like a good one.