So right here it’s over a month after Halloween. Thanksgiving has handed, and it’s already the Christmas season. So why, you would possibly rightfully ask, am I reviewing and nonetheless listening to the Tremendous Darkish Collective’s Halloween compilation “Do the Fright Factor Quantity 8”? As a result of it kicks SO MUCH ASS!
If one had been unfamiliar with the deep, huge currents of the American underground, one might simply take heed to the “Do the Fright Factor, Vol. 8” compilation and assume it’s scary, darkish, and peculiar solely due to the truth that it’s a Halloween album. Nonetheless, anybody that has been listening to, or is involved in, the underground music scene (particularly that of the Capital District) ought to hear this report and perceive how far more consultant, necessary, and important it’s to defining the breadth and depth of the avant-garde within the Capital District, the Northeast, and past.
The album is full of exhausting rocking hip hop beats, overdriven noisy guitars, and plain straight up harsh digital noise. Vocals are usually loud, offended and even downright vicious. This can be a terrific cross part of the type of sounds you hear for those who go to native small membership exhibits just about anyplace in America, however particularly upstate New York and the Northeast. So for those who ARE a fan of indigenous, authentic, non-commercial music, you’re going to like this. In the event you aren’t, it’s a superb lesson in the place underground music is correct now AND the place it’s almost certainly going within the subsequent 25 years or so.
It begins with an aptly darkish and spooky intro by native hip hop artist Mundy, full of samples, darkish organs, screams, and cries of those who sound like they’re about to be tortured. And if that’s too genuinely scary for you, it’s instantly adopted by a harsh-sounds-meets-campy-horror-songs monitor by ‘Professor Bloodfiend’, somebody even these of us which are large followers of the native scene and Tremendous Darkish exhibits aren’t aware of. (There are a variety of noms de guerres on this comp however many of the others both embody a well-known identify or two, or a intelligent trace to let you already know who it’s by.)
After which the comp is kicked into the stratosphere with the just about unbearably terrific “Theme to Howling II” by the lengthy working energy digital duo ToUGH, made up of native glam punk king Drew Benton (Haunted Cat, Difficult Shirt) and former Trojan Chris Skinner (Denim and Diamonds). This spooky exhausting hitting drum machine monitor walks a cushty line between old skool Run-D.M.C. type hip hop — together with the exceptional glam thrash guitar assault featured on mentioned — and postmodern noisecore electroclash. And to be blunt, it fucking rocks so exhausting it’s Queen-like in its eminent superlatives.
The remainder of the comp comprises so many tracks it’s exhausting to maintain up, shifting from type to type, hip hop to darkish wave, indie rock to thrash punk, all the pieces that the underground has been serving as much as native crowds because the late seventies. But all through there are particular strands of connectivity, most of which is offered by the wonderful manufacturing work of Shane Sanchez and Paul Coleman, each within the selections of tracks to incorporate, order, transitions, and particularly mixing and mastering an album that’s each punishingly noisy and eerie sufficient to function any horror film soundtrack, but catchy and attention-grabbing sufficient to be listened to quietly in its personal proper (again and again for those who’re like me).
A lot as I’d wish to reward the remaining 31 tracks in depth, there’s a lot right here that I feel I’d break some type of Nippertown report… both for the longest assessment, or the article that the most individuals cease studying by the sixteenth paragraph.
Some tracks ought to to be highlighted for varied causes; for instance, the wonderful collaboration between Jason (‘Wolfman’) Martin and 100 Psychic Desires (Shane Sanchez). This can be a dream group up between the lo-fi horror electronics of the Psychic Desires and the usually self aware mental fast fireplace traces of Jason Martin, that at all times embody an elusive but overwhelming humorousness for those who’re paying consideration. And I’m not simply speaking in regards to the “efficiency enhancing sportswear” or “assault moondog the Protector” lyrics, however how the rant degrades into the echoes of Captain Beefheart’s Dropout Boogie with the “adapt her adapt her!” traces…
After which there’s the unbelievable quick thrash of phenomenal native post-hardcore group Moist Specimens that, as at all times, hits you so exhausting within the head (and the raised fist) that it’s not solely terrifying however enervating and galvanizing. There’s the prescient abilities of Aunt Lonely’s “Mini Dungeon” that feels like future hyper online game music. And the juxtaposition of laid again beats and horrifying stream of consciousness lyrics of native hip hop Soo do koo’s “jackolanterns”…
And a lot extra… the place to start, the place to finish? We’ve bought tracks from overly prolific always performing native legends like Sinkcharmer, Steve Hammond, and Mr. Cancelled all in a block…. and afterward different prolific lo-fi recorders like okay. Sonin (who’s monitor “Amber” was unexpectedly beloved by everybody apart from this author) and Asa Morris. And naturally there’s the omnipresent E.S. Cormac with a superb lo-fi noise rock monitor AND a efficiency from new trio Merci Van whose shoegaze stylings he lays down the beats for, Tremendous Darkish Collective famous person Christopher Brown featured in 4 tracks and 4 totally different teams on the report ({Couples} Costume, King of Nothing Nowhere..), up and coming exhausting partying surf group the Sugar Maintain early on the report and bookended by its visionary drummer and soundman, John Olander, later in his guise as avant-garde summary digital waves vendor ‘Artwork Class Warfare’…
One might write a number of articles alone on all of the native greats collected right here and nonetheless miss a lot that the creator could be hung in effigy (this author is aware of what he thinks is an effective deal, however is unfamiliar sufficient with totally half of the teams on the album). Suffice it to say that along with amassing all the good legends, that is an eclectic assortment of locals not usually related to the avant-garde noise scene; just like the U2-like Rhoseway, lo-fi people of Ryan Stewart, the equally lo-fi further spooky monitor by the Headless Kinfolk, the quirky, undeniably catchy pop tune in regards to the Jewish Golem of Prague by Nathan Meltz (Home of Tomorrow, Machine Music).
And have I discussed the monitor the place Scum Sofa’s Mark O’Brien sings a devastating (and devastatingly catchy — particularly that rolling bassline into the refrain!) tune in regards to the escape from the jail at Dannemora backed by a bunch referred to as Off Hours?
There merely isn’t sufficient time or ink to explain how terrific, eclectic, various, inclusive, and but all by some means of the same stripe this compilation of tracks is. So one of the best factor to say is get your self a duplicate! There may be actually one thing right here for everybody, and even for those who’re not notably involved in a few of the music or are intimidated by digital noise or avant-garde it’s a terrific training on the native scene previous and current! There are 1,000,000 causes to pay attention to each high-quality monitor on this groundbreaking compilation, however just one purpose to not. Since you’re too FRIGHTENED to. You’re not frightened, are you??!!! Then DO THE FRIGHT THING!
