Mental Health In Music: A Musician's Perspective #6 - Christer Lunnan-Reitan (Longtime Friend/Label Don/Noise Maker)

Here's the latest interview from my Mental Health In Music and this one comes from longtime (Internet) friend Christer Lunnan-Reitan. Christer used to contribute some reviews to this blog and has been a constant source of new music ever since. A little while ago, I asked him if he wanted to share his thoughts and experiences around being a musician and coping with mental health along the way. He was kind and gracious enough to say yes, so here it is.

1. The idea of this feature is to talk about the problems that musicians face, especially those in DIY  or up-and-coming bands. Would you mind talking about your own experiences with mental health?

A. First off, the idea behind the feature series is extremely important and interesting. My own relationship with mental health is complex. I've more or less lived with depression for as long as I can remember, but only recently been diagnosed with it. I also suffer from mild anxiety and avoidant personality disorder, which is basically a way of saying I avoid confrontations, speaking with authority figures and the likes, as well as being overly sensitive to criticism, how I think people perceive me and the like. 

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2. Being in a band can be an outlet for people to express their feelings and to help them get over certain things in life but do you feel that it can also have a negative effect? If so, what do think these effects can be and are these linked to writing, recording, touring etc?

Oh, I certainly think so. Being able to express their feelings might backlash due to the sheer fact of exposing them to the world and people around you. But I do think that the overall effect of having creative and emotional outlets via art focuses more on healing than something negative. 

In regards to touring and writing, it all depends. I mean, if an artist is having a bad period, earlier material can be a hammer knocking them over their head and making things worse. Touring in a tiny van with people for hours and hours is enough to make everyone fed up, and I recKon it's harder if one is having a bad period in life as well. 

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3. How do you deal with things now? Have you got any advice for those who are struggling themselves, musician or otherwise?

I've recently gone to great lengths to get to a better spot in life. I realised that I needed to get something done, or I would just burn out. I'm going to therapy, taking meds, writing music again and so on. 

My advice would have to be to seek professional help, as well as find someone you trust enough to share things with. Stuff you find shameful or disgraceful might bring you closer to someone. But of course, trust is crucial. 

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4. What more do you think can be done in the underground scene or even the wider music scene to support people who may be struggling?

I think the DIY scene were I come from, or at least the US scene, is focusing on mental health now. But of course, it's hard to go out and write music if you're afraid of being judged by your peers, or it's hard to go to a show if you have social anxiety and so on. 

The internet community is really supportive and goes a long way to make people feel included, regardless of skin colour, your gender identity, your mental health. And I think they're good at standing up for the ones that have a hard time, as well as trying to weed out elitist behaviour (the ones that actually might put you down for your music, etc) 

In general, I think that the focus on mental health and the importance of helping those with mental health issues should be more prominent in media. Big names in pop as spokespersons is a simple, yet efficient way of getting that done, I think.

I hope you've found this interview and indeed the whole series helpful and enjoyable (if thats the right word). I think I've got one more coming up before the end of the year and once we get towards the New Year, I'll be recapping the whole series. Thanks again to Christer for sharing his experiences. Look out for those around you and for yourself. 

Sun Of The Dying - The Earth Is Silent

Labels: Art Of Propaganda Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 29 Nov 2019

Tracklist:

1. The Earth Is Silent

2. A Dying Light

3. A Cold Unnamed Fear

4. Orion

5. When The Morning Came

6. Monolith

7. White Skies And Grey Lands

I count this as the fourth review in five days. It's safe to say that December is proving fruitful productivity-wise. The band I'm homing in on tonight is one from Spain's capital Madrid. Doom/death sextet Sun Of The Dying have been together since 2013 yet only released their first album "The Roar Of The Furious Sea" in 2017 with an initial digital self-release and then a digital/cd re-release via Mexican label Throats Productions. In November they released their second full-length via Art Of Propaganda Records. "The Earth Is Silent" is spread over seven song.

Starting with the title-track, Sun Of The Dying paints a melancholic and sorrow-filled picture on “The Earth Is Silent”. This opener may only be an instrumental intro but it proves effective at dragging you down as the choral singing comes in. Doom/death has always been a sub-genre that’s hard to crack for me but hearing the clean vocals and gentle piano/guitar of A Dying Light, it’s hard not to get lost in it’s soothing but unnerving tones. Imagine the Peaceville Three cross-pollinating with Hateful Abandon and you might begin to understand the sonics present here. Slow, mournful tempos mixed with low growls and orchestral instrumentation are all gathered together to great effect.

With A Cold Unnamed Fear, Sun Of The Dying heads in a more black metal direction briefly. The keyboards have more of a presence here and while it’s a long way from being symphonic (possibly a good thing), it’s memorable despite the heaviness. Orion maintains a lengthy instrumental build-up, which is a characteristic of doom/death before those clean vocals reveal themselves again. It brings to mind a whole host of great Scandinavian bands of the same ilk but there’s still an obvious originality to the music. It’s great to hear different countries and indeed cultures put their mark on different musical styles and here Sun Of The Dying combines the heat and positivity of their Spanish homeland with the cold and dank emotion of doom/death’s forbears.

If you’re after something both melodic and truly majestic then look no further than When The Morning Came. It epitomises Sun Of The Dying for me and shows their heart and soul is gloriously open fashion. The vocals, despite being as harsh as they have been throughout, are audible and the song-writing/craft shows a band that is truly maturing. In an age where complex and fast music is providing an instant hit for extreme metal fans, songs like Monolith will provide solace. Again, it’s slow and (as some might say) depressive, but it’s perfectly formed and indeed performed. The mix of textures from the vocals, choral singing and metal instrumentation gives it an instantly listenable impact. It’s possibly the band’s most complete song.

It all segues nicely into album closer White Skies And Grey Lands, with it’s prominent and glorious piano. It’s the final hymn and as such it paints a picture of misty and cold landscapes that are at odds with the sextets’s homeland but that works all too well. Creative and delivered with an assured confidence, “The Earth Is Silent” may be a sleeper when it comes to 2019’s big hitters but it has it’s own place amongst the music that’s shaping this year. As the decade comes to a close, memories will be made and people will be transported to different places thanks to music like this. When I listen to this again, I’ll think of how at peace I was when I first heard it. Incredibly moving, Solemn and soulful.

You can stream and purchase "The Earth Is Silent" on all formats via AOP Records below:-

Sun Of The Dying - https://www.facebook.com/SunofTheDying

Art Of Propaganda Records - https://www.facebook.com/aoprecs/

Nex Carnis - Black Eternity 7"

Labels: Blood Harvest Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 27 Sep 2019

Tracklist:

1. Last Gleams Of A Fallen Conscience

2. The Fathomless Caverns Of Oblivion

Jumping into music from far away lands can often be like staring into the unknown, but it needn't be. Metal and especially extreme metal ignores borders and brings people together. That's exactly what's happening with Iranian death metal band Nex Carnis. They recently released their latest EP "Black Eternity" via Blood Harvest and with it, they're starting to reach the ears of extreme metal fans from across the globe. The roots of the band dates back to 2012, when they self-released their "Death Of The Flesh" demo. 2015 saw the release of debut album "Obscure Visions Of Dark" with help from Italian label Nightbreaker Productions. It may be hard for them to play live either in or outside of Iran, but they'll always have a home amongst metal fans worldwide.

Nex Carnis has risen at the right time. Their death metal is technical, raging and melodic in equal measure. Last Gleams Of A Fallen Conscience is an excellent introduction to the trio for anyone who is crossing paths with them for the first time. The right amounts of murky growls and catchy instrumentation are on show and while you may not consider death metal all that catchy, you might change your mind once you’ve listened to this.

Second song The Fathomless Caverns Of Oblivion is no less listenable. There are moments of death/doom lurking within it but they’re subtle and the main element that’s present here are those bouncing riffs, that seem to lead you all over the place. Imagination in this sub-genre can sometimes be very much devoid but Nex Carnis let theirs run wild. The percussion is more gung-ho and the vocals remain deep and grunt-like but the guitar work is the key to how enjoyable this is.

This EP will definitely be one that keeps spinning. Memorable songs and while there are only two, they will keep you hooked until any future long-player. Another really impressive death metal release from 2019.

You can stream and purchase "Black Eternity" on vinyl or digital formats via Blood Harvest below:-

Nex Carnis - https://www.facebook.com/nexcarnis

Blood Harvest Records - https://www.facebook.com/BloodHarvestRecords/

Lonesome - To Myself, From Myself

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 26 Apr 2019

Tracklist: 

1. To Myself

2. Remember

3. ;

4. Be Strong

5. In The Heart You Have

6. From Myself

My current mood is yearning more for post-rock/metal than full-on blasting death/black at the moment and there's plenty of the former around. Peterborough (UK) quintet Lonesome are one band that've released music this year that may have flown straight over people's radars. They flew passed mine until recently. "To Myself, From Myself" was self-released by the band back in April, on all digital platforms as well as on lovely white vinyl. To accompany the record, Lonesome also has a live version, recorded at All Saints Church in Sawtry in Cambridgeshire. I'll put a streaming link to that below this review as well.

Lonesome’s music is cinematic, melodic and instrumentally very strong indeed. It has elements of current heavy music crafted by the likes of Bring Me The Horizon (Sempiternal/That’s The Spirit era)  in places and record opener To Myself majors on that cinematic sound, with both clean vocals and screams nestling within it. Remember is a beautifully thought out and delivered song, which is easy going and that won’t frighten off those that sit on the fringes between the mainstream and heavier sounds. It again contains screaming in places but it’s not overrun with it and Lonesome instead allows the music to say everything they want to.

The oddly titled ; is next up and it’s feedback-ridden intro follows directly on from Remember. It’s a lengthy build-up that gives way to gentle keys and guitar work. The grittiness of that feedback still lingers throughout the song even when the volume increases and it turns it into a really nice instrumental song. The second half of the record contains probably their most dissonant song so far in the form of Be Strong. The bass tones can be heard amongst it all, providing extra heft while Lonesome provides the type of quiet/loud dynamic that’s subtle but also very effective. It’s maybe not as obvious as others make it but that’s fine, as it works really well and doesn’t sound disjointed or forced. It does end rather abruptly though, which I wasn’t expecting.

On penultimate song In The Heart You Have, you’re taken back to a calmer and more introspective place. One with less dissonance and more peace. That’s one feeling that Lonesome really conjures with their music, one of peace and wellbeing. It’s fantastic and really uplifting. Ending with From Myself, Lonesome takes one final opportunity to wrap their musical warmth around you. There’s no need to go for the jugular or throw in gimmicks at every turn. Music like this is best left to flow and find it’s own course. The fact that there are bands like Lonesome who have barely scratched the surface in terms of a following is criminal. They’ve not waited for things to happen for them, they’ve done it themselves and for the love of it. They have my full support and hopefully after hearing this record they’ll have yours too.

You can stream "To Myself, From Myself" and buy it physically/digitally from Lonesome below:-

You can also stream and purchase the live version digitally below:-

Lonesome - https://www.facebook.com/lonesomeuk/

A Paramount, A Love Supreme - Crisis Meditations EP

Labels: Larry Records/Zegema Beach Records

Formats: Tape/Digital

Release Date: 15 Nov 2019

Tracklist: 

1. Catastrophizing

2. Overshot

3. I Am Young Without Wilderness

4. Mariner East 2

It's December, I've not even looked at the e-mails I've received promoting 2020 releases yet and I'm not doing an End-Of-Year list (UNTIL AFTER 2019!) if at all. I've put a post up on FB inviting people to submit theirs though! There's still so many releases to talk about from this year and I'm beginning with this EP from Delaware (US) skramz trio A Paramount, A Love Supreme. "Crisis Meditations" was released on limited tape in mid-November via Larry Records and Zegema Beach Records. This EP features both songs from their March 2019 demo, which was also their first release. The post-hardcore/screamo scene just keeps marching on with ever-more momentum, so it's just best to go with it.

Soothing and melodic guitar tones are always welcome and Catastrophizing has them in spades. Following those opening riffs and beyond the sixty-second mark, the trio explodes into a noisy and chaotic screamo frenzy, where the harsh vocals sit in the middle surrounded by the instrumentation. The initial sound is above that whole lo-fi aesthetic. Melody is clear but there’s also a gritty rawness.

It’s energetic with less of an emphasis on the post and more on the violence, as evidenced by Overshot, which is more angular and blackened in a way. Introspection is called for mid-way through and A Paramount, A Love Supreme allows for that with a break in the heaviness for something a bit more restrained. That being said, it’s not that way for long and when they do kick back into top gear, guitar/bass textures are layered atop of complex drumming and heartfelt screams.

They invoke thoughts of barren nature on I Am Young Without Wilderness. Perfectly made for this cold December weather, staring out at the hard frost through my window takes on a different meaning with this playing in the background. It’s uplifting though and that’s another thing you get with this sub-genre. It may sound angry and ugly at times, but it’s true and beautiful if you take the time to appreciate it.

Last song Mariner East 2 contains riffs that could be attributed to early-metallic hardcore but in a subtle way. A Paramount, A Love Supreme doesn’t overdo it and allows plenty of room in the song for the musicianship to truly take centre stage. Stop/Start and delivered with palpable energy, it ends the EP in fine style.

This EP is perfect. It’s short but there’s enough musicality going on amongst it’s songs and while it has one hand in the emo-violence camp, there’s no need for dilution. It seems that A Paramount, A Love Supreme have a lot of room for expansion within their sound. It’s early days yes, but this is a proper starter for ten. Great work, keep em coming!

Stream "Crisis Meditations" and buy it as a name-your-price download from the band here:-

A Paramount, A Love Supreme - https://www.facebook.com/aparamountalovesupreme

Physical tapes are available via the links below:-

Larry Records - https://larry187.bandcamp.com/merch

Zegema Beach Records US - http://zegemabeachrecords.storenvy.com

Zegema Beach Records CAN/INTL - http://www.zegemabeachrecords.com/zegema-beach-releases

Larry Records - https://www.facebook.com/larryscrammo/

Zegema Beach Records - https://www.facebook.com/zegemabeachrecords/

Also, before I forget: Zegema Beach Records is running a special contest throughout December, where anybody who orders from them will be entered into a hat to win a Sawtooth Grin "Cuddlemonster" test-press, courtesy of Wax Vessel. The winner will be announced on December 25th, so you know what to do!

Candy - Super-Stare

Labels: Relapse Records

Formats: Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 23 Sep 2019

Tracklist:

1. Super-Stare

2. Win Free Love

I've seen US hardcore band Candy making waves recently, no doubt helped by joining forces with Relapse Records over recent months. I'm a big fan of what Relapse does and the signing of Candy adds extra variation to an already damn solid roster. Candy released their first demo songs in 2017 and followed them with their debut EP "Candy Says" in November of the same year. More demos and their first full-length "Good To Feel" followed a year later, along with tours and shows with the likes of Harms Way, Fucked Up, Quicksand and Nothing (to name a few) proved that they were destined to reach wider audiences. Their latest two-song EP "Super-Stare" was released via Relapse in September as a precursor to their up-coming second full-length. Here, they bring hardcore and metal even closer together, if that were possible.

I’ve listened to this EP a couple of times in recent weeks and even though it only consists of two songs, it’s super addictive. Kicking off with Super-Stare, Candy provides stomping riffs alongside a slightly psychedelic influences, before pounding drums and harsh vox take over, nestling for room with bass-heavy tones. It’s extremely noisy and that noise grows to almost industrial-like levels before there’s an unexpected break-up featuring guitar work that could’ve come straight off Metallica’s “Black Album’. Those memorable riffs close out the song in the same way that they introduced it.

Second song Win Free Love is urgent and definitely more of a hardcore bruiser, but it still contains the band’s industrial influence (if I'm hearing it right). It’s grinding and chaotic, with no let-up in tempo, but like the title-track it’s catchy. Catchiness is certainly something that you can take away from this EP. Candy’s next full-length is going to be well worth waiting for. This is a good starting point though if you’re new to them.

You can stream and purchase "Super-Stare" on vinyl and digitally via Candy's bandcamp page below:-

Candy - https://www.facebook.com/candygonnadie/

Relapse Records - https://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords/

Mental Health In Music: A Musician's Perspective #5 - Ashley Merritt (Local punk/emo musician)

Here's the latest in the Mental Health In Music series. By now, if you've been reading the previous interviews you'll know what it's all about but for those of you who're venturing into it for the first time; the series features interviews with musicians mainly from DIY/Underground heavy and punk bands, giving them an opportunity to talk about mental health from their perspectives and offering advice to those of you might be struggling. This interview was answered a friend of mine, who's also a musician from my local town.

1. The idea of this feature is to talk about the problems that musicians face, especially those in DIY or up-and-coming bands. Would you mind talking about your own experiences with mental health? 

A. My main struggles in mental health revolve around obsession and anxiety. I was diagnosed with clinical OCD in my early twenties and have been dealing with that ever since. I think it would be fair to say that I’ve always been a very obsessional and emotionally intense person but relationship trauma through my adolescence had the effect of magnifying those negative compulsive ways of dealing with hardship and conflict to the degree where it was really beginning to affect my emotional wellbeing and happiness. Since my OCD diagnosis I have been through some incredibly difficult times but through a great deal of failure and determination as well as three courses of therapy I have managed to find a way to come to greater peace with myself and my mind. My mental health struggles have taught me so much about myself that it would be hard to see my experiences as one-dimensionally sad. 

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2. Being in a band can be an outlet for people to express their feelings and to help them get over certain things in life but do you feel that it can also have a negative effect? If so, what do think these effects can be and are these linked to writing, recording, touring etc?

It would certainly be fair to say that I use songwriting as an outlet for dealing with my mental health and where this is mostly positive there are certainly drawbacks. It can be incredibly hard to contextualise lyrics about darker more internal topics to your nearest and dearest, songwriting needs to come from a place of overwhelming honesty, honesty which can hurt or worry those around you. I have also found that It can be very easy to fall into the trap of becoming over immersed in your mental illness when writing about it constantly. Part of my recovery process was putting my OCD into the fabric of my personality instead of having it be my everything, it’s hard to keep your mental health in perspective when you immerse yourself in it to explore it. 

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3. How do you deal with things now? Have you got any advice for those who are struggling themselves, musician or otherwise? 

I would count myself as in recovery, I have some hard periods but nothing like I did a few years ago. I feel like once you’ve finally started to challenge your brain and see its negative patterns as just odd ticks of how your mind works, it becomes very hard to un-learn that and as such, no matter how hard it can get, hopefully you have the tools to deal with it. If I have any advice it would be to never, ever be afraid to seek out help, never feel bad about talking to your closest friends, relatives, partners, they all want to help you and see you happy! You really never need to suffer alone. 

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4. What more do you think can be done in the underground scene or even the wider music scene to support people who may be struggling? 

Mental health awareness gigs and benefits are a wonderful thing and could always happen more. I think we should aim to perhaps even put on full festivals where the branding, message and bands put on are all there in solidarity with mental health, I like that idea because frankly, everybody struggles and I would like to think that full festival bills of artists admitting that they struggle and that it’s OK to struggle would help remove the stigma around mental health. I think a lot of people would come out of the woodwork to support that, that the public at large would never imagine. 

I just want to say thanks to Ashley for taking the time to answer my questions. Also, apologies for the lack of photos in this post. I'm not being lazy but I didn't was to use non-music/performance photos.

Earthbound - Desolate EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: Digital

Release Date: 11 Oct 2019

Tracklist:

1. Of Suffering

2. Solitude

3. Worlds Apart

4. Remnants

I've been looking forward to doing this all day. The day job is hard, especially mentally, so it's nice to be able to let go. Earthbound only recently came onto my radar and "Desolate" is the Southern  England quintet's second EP in two years. They're more experienced than you might think for a band with just two EPs to their name, having played at Bloodstock Festival last year, as well as supporting Doyle (of Misfits fame) that same too. Live shows are a big part of any band's life and Earthbound have certainly done their fair share so far. 

Proper riffs and a full-on metal attack is what you get from Earthbound. They have influences that cover the likes of Soilwork and Trivium and actually they’re not too far off when you hear opener Of Suffering. The melodic choruses are great and it all manages to sound British, as opposed to overly American. Earthbound weaves really heartfelt and beautiful tones into Solitude, especially thanks to the orchestral elements and clean singing, It will be a departure from their opener for some but that’s okay. They do inject it with some heaviness during the latter half but it fits the overall song really well and doesn’t take away from what they’re trying to convey. 

Their use of other musical elements within these songs adds an extra edge to the EP and Worlds Apart sees them going in a direction that’s akin to the likes of Amon Amarth and Dark Tranquillity, albeit subtly. There’s a Norse tone to the music and the melody once again adds to that. The twin-guitars are so lush on here, it’s hard not to be moved by them. EP closer Remnants rages with full-throttle death and thrash. Old school in a good way and something that’s been missing from the UK underground metal scene for a while I think. This one and Worlds Apart are lengthier tracks and the momentum they create is exactly what is needed on a short EP like this.

Earthbound are brilliant. They’re more deeply rooted in heavy metal as opposed to hardcore or progressive metal, so their sound is simpler and more direct. They perform really strongly on “Desolate”, so much so that a full-length album can’t be far off for them. They certainly sound assured enough to make the next step and you better be there when they do. 

You could stream "Desolate" via Spotify though correct if I'm wrong, but the band will get more money if you purchase a digital copy from their Bandcamp page, which you can do below:-

Earthbound - https://www.facebook.com/EarthboundMusicUK/

The World Without Us - Incarnate EP

Labels: Self-Released

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 25 Oct 2019

Tracklist:

1. Listen In Obsidian

2. Man-Sized Hail

3. Things To Tell The Press

4. I Am The Mist

As I wearily looked through my e-mails earlier this morning, I wondered if I was even going to be able to focus long enough to write a review and then I saw the cover art for "Incarnate"by The World Without Us and they opened widely. The colours and the design immediately caught my attention. This is the debut EP from the US quintet (based in West Chester, Pennsylvania), who play modern progressive metal. 

The opening bars of this EP are certainly dramatic. Listen To Obsidian starts with melodic guitar and singing, with percussion that slowly builds with the song. At the mid-point the full-band comes to life but instead of an all-out attack on the senses, The World Without Us hold back slightly longer. Their true heaviness comes out towards the end. After the mid-paced opener, Man-Sized Hail gets the blood pumping with it’s Southern rock n roll swagger and stop/start approach. From their it descends into proper technical death metal territory. Musically impressive, The World Without Us keep you guessing.

They get more upbeat still on Things To Tell The Press, which incorporates hardcore into the mix. The technical metal isn’t far away though and the extensive soloing reminds you that they’re musicians first and foremost. That might seem like a bit of an obvious thing to say, but in modern music you’ve either got musicians or entertainers (musicians can entertain, but entertainers aren’t necessarily good musicians). EP closer I Am The Mist is straight-up heavy from the get go. It’s a proper metal song with soaring clean vocals and harsh growls. The music that sits behind is drowned out slightly but that’s a small thing and not worth worrying about.

The World Without Us are very talented and this is a great debut. It’ll be good to keep an eye on their progression (sorry!). Settling on a sound takes time but they’ve hit the ground running and will grow and grow for sure.

You can stream "Incarnate" and buy it digitally below:-

The World Without Us - https://www.facebook.com/theworldwithoutus/

The Heartland - The Stars Outnumber The Dead (Repress)

Labels: Creep Records/Wax Vessel

Formats: CD/Vinyl/Digital

Release Date: 29 May 07/21 June 2019

Tracklist:

1. The Goddess Did Not Produce A Shadow

2. The Blue Period

3. I'm Not Wearing A Belt To NY

4. Ms. Elanious

5. You And Me, Were Monsters

6. Tackle The Monster

7. $150 Worth Of Tarantulas

8. It's Your Haunted Chair...You Drag It

9. If We Take This Any Slower, We'll Have To Speed Up To Stop

10. The Coliseum

I write this knowing that I've still got to begin writing my full-length feature on the resurgence of Myspace Grind etc. In between writing my review of Wax Vessel's first repress, "The Dead Sleep Like Us For A Reason" by Destroyer Destroyer and this, I've received both LPs in the post and I couldn't be happier. The Heartland repress that I ordered came on clear vinyl with a red centreburst and black splatter, foil stamped (I got number 47). It also came on a red/black swirl as well. Limited to 200 copies, with 15 test presses and 4 special band-only copies. It all started in 2006 for The Heartland with "Two American Kids Growing Up" before "The Stars Outnumber The Dead"  in 2007 and they followed it with "Frontier" in 2009. That's all I know, so if there was any other music, please let me know.

This is exactly what the doctor ordered! Intense and technical grind/metal with all kinds of everything going on. The Goddess Did Not Produce A Shadow kicks things off in fast and loose styles with crazy riffs, ever-changing percussion and a hazy mix of low and high-pitched vocal growls. Things don’t get any more sensible on The Blue Period, which has a disturbing hint of deathcore to it, before The Heartland’s experimentation puts pay to that. 

There’s a subtle simplicity to I’m Not Wearing A Belt To NY given the madness of the opening duo, but what it’s lack in full-throttle heaviness it makes up for in creativity and clever song-writing. Heck, there’s even an indie-like passage with clean singing and danceable melody. The Heartland certainly wasn’t a one-trick pony, that’s for sure. The off-kilter jazz-like riffs are back on Ms. Elanious, which includes some of the best musical phrasing I’ve heard since I realised Myspace grind was a thing. I like traditional grind but this has something more (feel free to call me a heathen if you want to!). 

If you think that grind is all about thirty-second songs as well, you’d be wrong as The Heartland demonstrates. You And Me, Were Monsters breaches the five-minute mark (like Ms. Elanious before it) and it starts with melodic guitar that Fleetwood Mac would be proud of. It’s instrumental and it splits up the album well, even if people may be yearning for the momentum to carry on. Tackle The Monster gives a huge dose of Southern flair, as if they’d got into bed with Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster or something. They don’t go redneck on you though and still manage to create a song that’s both emotive and fun. 

$150 Worth Of Tarantulas isn’t quite as terrifying as it’s name would suggest, though it is pretty insane for all the right reasons. I had never heard of The Heartland before this repress, but I love discovering obscure bands whether they’re old or new, so this is right up my alley. Hopefully you’ll agree too. For some reason It’s Your Haunted Chair…You Drag It reminds me of my office. Don’t know why, but it might be due to the unpredictability of the song. It’s only short but it’s more than enough.

If that previous number was short, then If We Take This Any Slower, We’ll Have To Speed Up To Stop goes by in the blink of an eye (almost). Album closer The Coliseum starts with the laid-back approach you’d expect. You get another instrumental that’s moody and emotive, just as You And Me, Were Monsters was. It rounds out a record that’s a really varied listen, certainly more-so than I was expecting. It’s awesome that people and labels want to unearth bands like The Heartland. Bringing them to the attention of people who might’ve never of heard them is a great thing, for both the band and the music as a whole. 

You can stream "The Stars Outnumber The Dead" and purchase a super cheap digital download from Pattern Recognition Records (which helped to distribute this repress) below:-

The LP versions are completely sold out.

The Heartland - https://www.facebook.com/The-Heartland

Wax Vessel - https://www.facebook.com/waxvesselchicago/

Pattern Recognition Records - https://www.facebook.com/PatternRecognitionRecords/