Glaukom Synod - Ectoplasmic Revelations

Ectoplasmic Revelations appeared on my doorstep like an outlaw revisiting their favorite western shanty-town bank. Glaukom Synod has been a frequent traveler these parts for a while now, and each release has impressed me in different ways. The three hours worth of Glaukom Synod in my music library occupies a niche space between Glass Candy and Glen Tipton; nestled between polar opposites. In some ways, Glaukom Synod is a coagulation of polar opposites as well. The electronic artifacts on display are assembled with requisite heavy amounts of electronics and mechanical sounds, but with a goal of representing more natural death metal tones and structures. Ectoplasmic Revelations is no different in this respect, but most importantly, this release is perhaps even more focused in presenting Glaukom within this framework.

Ectoplasmic is it's own entity with individual tendencies and orientations. Glaukom Synod doesn't really approach the genre as a wall of noise and static and, at least to me, it's easier to imagine these tracks with different instrumentation being some idiosyncratic form of death metal than ever before, even more than the actual Napalm Death and Bolt Thrower covers on Covered in Semen and Slime.  Whereas a large portion of the genre would sound more akin to either funeral doom or drone, Glaukom is firmly opposite and refreshing in this regard. The death metal influences are clear on a track such as "Baphometic Ruminance and Clerical Decerebration". It's not impossible to imagine Cannibal Corpse piecing together parts and components for a track on Tomb of the Mutilated. Ectoplasmic Revelations is a difficult-to-find mixture of rhythmic primitivsm, challenging complexity, and auditory abrasiveness which can make the body convulse in angular motions but in an organized and purposeful flailing.





I found there was more vocal sampling present than I've previously remembered. For example "Demembrablia (Voyage, Blood and Remembrance)" utilizes vocal repetition as the main rhythmic element throughout the track. "The Taurus (Cosmic Tribulations)" even foregoes the electronic manipulation and incorporates singular death metal vocals. "Demembrablia (Voyage, Blood and Remembrance)"is likely the best overall representation of what Glaukom does so well, finding abnormal rhythmic tendencies and latching onto them with bizarre nuanced melodicism hidden beneath industrialized soundscapes. My choice for personal favorite track, "Visions of a Necrophile (The Tangerine Rest)", is the epitome of electronic suspense, with repetitive low futuristic patterns interspersed with clipping sound waves and bleeping. It wouldn't sound out of place if it were injected into the Terminator 2 soundtrack.

There's enjoyment to be found in these experimental tracks. I lose myself often searching for new and different repetitions and rhythms. It is possible to hear the same track two completely different ways or at two completely different speeds. "Sodomized By The Past" does this really well. You can latch onto the programmed drums at sonic speed or to the rubbery slower motif in the background and get a different feel for the song's pacing. This personalized experience is a unique element. Songs often are preoccupied with beating their audience over the head with obvious thumping bass to cue in on, especially in more mainstream electronic music. The experience is ultimately aggressive in tone but at times sadistically whimsical due to unconventional syncopations keyed into abnormal melodic configurations. This gonzo approach to power electronics and experimental music makes Glaukom Synod a rewarding experience even for those who wouldn't typically give the genre a chance.