Ischemic - All Paths Lead Nowhere

Often during war, scientific and engineering breakthroughs come at a breakneck pace. Within only a few years during World War II, for example, scientists on both sides of the conflict moved from rudimentary theoretical concepts of atomics to the Americans producing a nuclear weapon and the Germans not far behind them - only stymied in their quest for their chosen moderator, heavy water, by Norwegian saboteurs under the command of Leif Tronstad. Ischemic must be under similar self-inflicted stress because in the three years between 2013's Frigid Descent and 2016's All Paths Lead Nowhere, a similar breakthrough has seemingly occurred. Ischemic sent me their recent albums, from All Paths Lead Nowhere to their recent eponymous full length but for context, I decided to start at Frigid Descent, an interesting and audacious yet merely formative release to my ears. I was not sure whether there could be a significant ascent in the albums to follow but All Paths Lead Nowhere has been in my stereo for several weeks now and I've enjoyed it each time. 

It's clear that Ischemic has moved on from their 'rudimentary theoretical concepts' to effective practical theory. Not only are the individual songs better defined as lone entities, the album has a more mature and thoughtful gait, even though the songs are all mid-paced. Also evident is a great overall confidence amongst the band, especially vocalist Isa, who is truly impressive across all the tracks. The playback through my tape offers a bottom-end loaded pounding affair that captures the gut of the listener, but the higher frequency scratchiness of the guitar renders the important melodic themes with clarity and atmosphere. Where Frigid Descent could be described as shooting at something which had already been accomplished by Evoken or especially Ataraxie to a high degree of precision, All Paths Lead Nowhere is closer to something Ischemic could call their own. This shift in style brings them closer to a band like Hivelords than doom death genre progenitors and masters. 

The improved flow of All Paths Lead Nowhere is a major key for the EP's success. Opening track, "Nowhere", has the intent of an introduction and sets the overall plaintive mood of the record with a slow clean twanging guitar melody before launching into the only slightly faster, but more aggressive  "Black Mass Metastasis." While Frigid Descent's first two tracks ran a marathon twenty-three minutes and demanded the listener carve out time in their day to partake, All Paths Lead Nowhere covers just a few minutes more than this as an entirety, proving to be a more sizeable portion. "Into Oceans Unknown" highlights Isa's vocal range with searing black metal inspired screeches during the tracks' faster moments, and deeper death metal growls during the slower pre-historic vibed transitional moments. "Barren" is the album's biggest surprise and my favorite track. It is the most emotive track on the album, coming across stoically as guitars weave beautiful leads behind the long drawn out chords which would be at home on masterpieces like Morgion's Solinari or Disembowelment's Transcendence into The Peripheral. When Isa enters with her massive vocals along with drummer Chris and the huge low end of Anthony's bass, rare power is unleashed. "Barren", though, is truly just a lead in to the EP's final eponymous track, but is more than the following ten minute long album closer in it's two minute run-time. The albums longest track is placed ideally as the final song, resolving the album's pacing nicely with an tense fatalism similar to "Black Mass Metastasis." 

Ischemic have taken a great leap forward with All Paths Lead Nowhere and it is evident throughout each track. The overall impression is that All Paths Lead Nowhere is the progeny of a band who, during the creation and recording, were open to the rare energy that manifests in dank sweaty rehearsal caves amongst an inspired group of briefly connected intellects. Decisions about letting notes ring, letting the floor tom be the percussive glue across numerous tracks, the powerful two-voice approach of Isa, and the smooth movement from start to finish sound natural and intrinsic. Breakthroughs in every component elevate All Paths Lead Nowhere and leave me salivating instead of sickened to move into Ischemic's full length albums.

 

Contaminated Tones 2022

Recently announced via the Contaminated Tones Newsletter, I will be offering a physical version of Contaminated Tones. 

This physical installment will include copies of the full interviews conducted for Contaminated Tones, cut and paste layout of all reviews for this year as well as select review of previous years, as well as other articles. Also included will be an annual best-of compilation tape with hand picked tracks, interview snippets, live recordings from the past fifteen years of show-going, and miscellaneous sounds and screams. This is another step in pressing forward with my goal of pushing back against digitization of media and art, keeping the underground tradition of physical interaction alive, and allowing the open-minded unfettered flow of ideas to reach those who want to hear them. I will distribute flyers, advertisements, and demo material within this package when available as well and all are welcome to contact me if interested in having promotional materials mailed. Anyone interested in submitting interview material, written letters, articles, rants, conspiracy theories, recommendations, etc, can reach out to me directly. 

CTP VOL 1: RELEASE CONTENTS:

INTERVIEWS:

- Askog (2021)

- Feretro (2021)

- Ireful (2022)

- Ischemic (2022)

- Sarmat (2022)

- Skorbvster (2021)

ARTICLES / REPRINTS:

- Morbid Faith Underground Newsletter #9

- Reprint of CTP #1 From 2008

- Thoughts on all New Jersey Releases of 2021 and 2022

MISCELLANEOUS:

- All Contaminated tones Reviews from 2021 and 2022

Radiation - The Gift of Doom

Four years after their Plutonium Overdose 7" EP, a solid German Thrash influenced attack, Slovakians Radiation offer their full length, The Gift Of Doom, under similar command, though with a greater proficiency and accuracy. In fact, the two releases give credence to the perspective that a band can offer stylistically the same material with no recognizable overall change and yet put out a substantially stronger release. Radiation didn't need to change in any way from the EP with "Sword of Damocles" still holding a revered spot on my best of playlist, but where Plutonium Overdose offered one truly stand out song, The Gift of Doom offers several noteworthy tracks to build a more solid repertoire overall. It's this type of expanding repertoire which is key to maintain consistent fan interest and yet, paradoxically, for long-running projects with storied careers, is seemingly an impossible feat to achieve. Naturally, the artists and their die-hard fans will immediately love new material, but for less zealous listeners, it becomes increasingly difficult to find worthy new additions to storied careers. 

Obviously Radiation are not Sodom, or Slayer, or Kreator. As such, Radiation does not have a laundry list of classic tracks by which new material continuously fails to live up to. The Gift of Doom does definitively add several cuts which I would consider necessary in Radiation's setlist, a setlist which I would pick over seeing washed up out-of-touch old thrash bands go through the motions. Radiation excel when guitarists Mraz and Riso discover memorable tails to their riffs, and repurpose those motifs throughout their tracks. "Praise The God of Nuclear Fusion" is one such example with a memorable opening riff that introduces a descending frill that is reintroduced throughout the song. "Eternal Toxic Fields" showcases this usage of strong reusable guitar licks as well, introducing a lower register element that is picked up again in the first half of solo and then repeating again.  "Thrash The Bastards" does the same though replaces the guitar motifs with staccato pounding on the floor tom to give a savage barbarism to the album's tertiary cut. It's through these morsels that Radiation offer burn songs into the listener's psyche. 

The Gift of Doom is likely one of the better underground thrash releases I've heard these past few years. Even though a surface reading of the lyrics might appear petulant due to the rough usage of the English language, the actual content offers some variety with songs like "Yperite" focusing on effects of the usage of mustard gas during World War I, and "Eternal Toxic Fields'" opening lyrics of "Poisons, drugs, smog and scums. We are consuming it every day. Municipal waste, garbage and scrap, but for good health we pray," pointing out the hypocrisy of personal health in a polluted world. It's all very dystopian. It's all very thrash at it's core. The rhythm production is genuine and natural; buzzsaw guitars, a tight clunky audible bass from Vrana, and a strong performance from drummer Janci who is full of energy and fire, though does not always find the most creative patterns. Along with guitars, Mroz handles vocals as well. His are quite harsh and raspy. I liken them to Van Drunen's vocals on Consuming Impulse.

This is still underground Teutonic influenced Thrash at its foundation and that will be a major consideration when deciding to give listening time to the record. Radiation is not going to make a person who gravitates away from the grittier German thrash into a fan. There are better historical releases for this, however, Radiation - and similar quality underground bands - will inevitably fill the boots of their forefathers as the aging 80's old guard moves on. Radiation offer a reverent type of banner then, which is evident in albums such as The Gift of Doom. It is their ilk who will still be marching onto stage one or two decades from now and inserting "Outbreak of Evil" or "Ausgebombt" into their setlist when Angel Ripper needs a walker and cane to get to and fro following fifty years of headbanging. Someone will be there to perform underground thrash equivalents to Rock and Roll standards, and having worthwhile original material to go along with the Old Hymns. I love the blinding highlighter yellow tapes with this packaging as well.