| Appease & Panoply (CD) | 2005 | Blandhand |
Revelation began life in the 1980s in Baltimore, influenced by the finest in underground metal sounds such as Exodus, Trouble, Dream Death/Penance, Celtic Frost, and of course the Almighty Sabbath. The thrash/doom tension inherent in their early demos resolved itself towards doom to the point where Rise Above, the label on which 'Salvation's Answer' appeared, saw fit to print "Doom" in a black circle underneath the group's logo. The music within, though obviously recognisable as being in the Sabbath tradition, really didn't sound quite like anyone else. The chord progressions were unorthodox, while the lyrics, though doomy, were literate, abstracted and personalized. It was all a bit too left field for those who were not willing to take chances, and lets face it, most people are sheep, even in the underground. The follow-up release of the excellent 'Never Comes Silence' on the Hellhound label, perhaps the most important label in the history of doom, affected no compromise. The album may have won enthusiasts from those who appreciate intelligence with their doom, but the crowds at the many and diverse Revelatioin gigs did not exactly hit stadium levels, and the group, who had already lost bassist Bert Hall, went on hiatus when guitarist and vocalist John Brenner left music. The band later returned for another album with doomlord Dennis Cornelius at the helm, while original drummer Steve Branagan continued to pound the skins.
Battling depression, Brenner stopped listening to heavy music in the 90s, keeping his toe in the pool only to the extent of playing bass with Hall in the jazz group Poets & Fascists in the late 90s. Brenner opted to dive back in ca. 2000, reportedly because of the influence of Rush. Yes, Rush. Their influence in Revelation/Against Nature's music should not be underestimated. Anyway, it was time for the 'Salvation's Answer' crew to coalesce around a new doom vision. Reflecting that vision, they renamed themselves Against Nature, which is the first song on 'Never Comes Silence'. Revelation continued to soldier on under Dennis' black banner. Against Nature's tuneage retains the unusual, rather intellectual song structure and unique lyrics for which early Revelation was known, but the songs are shorter, more mature, more experimental, and more confident. But never fear, those who love the first two Revelation albums will love these as well. I just don't think this group has it in them to be conventional! Deep listeners will be able to discern the influence of all those hours of jazz listening; the group has also obviously been listening to Unorthodox and Rush, as well as old favorites Sabbath and Penance.
I mentioned the Against Nature gig in Indianapolis. This was their first concert in well over 10 years, and although there might have been a trainwreck moment or two, it was a fantastic and most enjoyable show. Clearly, these dudes are musician's musicians, as evidenced by the grinning horde at the front of the stage, formed by members of Orodruin, While Heaven Wept, and Reverend Bizarre, not to mention a few of us civilian types. On the heels of that experience, the group has released two albums. While two songs on 'Appease' date back to 1992, the sound is fresh, representing a significant forward stride for the group. It's available from the band, and the first 100 copies come in a signed and numbered edition. The second album, 'Panoply', is planned to be available as a download only, on the group's website. One Templar's attendee characterized the Indianapolis Against Nature gig as "historic", and it's hard to argue that. Those of you who missed that show - and there are far too many of you - need to pick up on these platters, if for no other reason than to have something worthwhile to talk about the next time someone brings up Sharon.
Appease:
1. Alogos
2. Neighborhood 8
3. Appease
4. Bolt
5. A Priori
6. Bland Hand Society
7. Organon
8. Outlet
9. Ensurpate
10. Before the Before
11. After the After
Panoply:
12. Pain by Numbers
13. Instauration
14. Two Years in Texas
15. Panoply
16. Free Radical
17. Mere Rebels
18. Children Cope with Boredom
19. Splatterism
20. Everyday Genius
Approx. 41 & 37 minutes
| Safe Dissonance (CD) | 2006 | Blandhand |
Alert doom cognoscenti already know that Against Nature is the same line-up of musicians that recorded as Revelation back in 1990, producing the classic 'Salvation's Answer'. A world of changes, including group line-up alterations, battles with depression, and even a total withdrawal from music have occurred since those halcyon doom days. Against Nature has evolved: it's now a different beast with a one-of-a-kind lineage that nevertheless clearly recalls the early Revelation days. The group is now amazingly prolific; perhaps all those years had a bottling effect as experiences and influences accumulated. They're also pretty much an internet-only proposition these days (yet so far...), although they seem to be up for the rare gig, as long as they have to buy plane tickets and go hundreds or thousands of miles to play, no doubt losing money all the while.
In any case, we've got 'Safe Dissonance' to chew on until the next release, which is only a matter of a few months away. Safe? I don't think anything is too safe with these guys. Every Against Nature listener will develop their own favorites, and my guess is that the first one, 'Appease', will win the hearts of most. 'Safe Dissonance', however, continues in that august tradition, and for my money this is their best yet (so far...). For one thing, the vocals seem better, with improved timbre, and the playing seems more confident and a bit more accessible. The second half of the disc in particular, floats this old school doomster's boat with excellent tuneage like the up-tempo, rockin' 'Armadillo', and the Brobdingnagian 'Beware Liliputians', with its fluid guitar leads and trademark tempo change-ups. 'Ignorance and Arrogance' presents spoken vocals more akin to Mayo Thompson or Lee Ranaldo than those to which we've been accustomed.
Despite these difference, 'Safe Dissonance' will appeal to all those who love the unique doom of Against Nature's previous efforts, 'Appease' and 'Panoply'. The group is clearly it's own entity, more confident, with shorter songs and more experimentation than ever before. Adventurous doom freaks will want to sign up, but despite the more rockin' moments on 'Safe Dissonance', the group still plays alot of experimental riffing doom, often moving like a drugged panther wearing booties, lost and plodding carefully through a sea of shimmering fog. So it's not for everyone. But if the idea of mixing together old-school doom influences such as (early) Trouble, Penance, and Sabbath, blending in progressive tuneage like Rush and Yes and yes, even jazz, and handing it over to seasoned doomsters with unique personal visions appeals to you, then surf on over to the above-referenced website, do some downloading, and make a donation to the cause.
1. Spectatorship
2. Safe Dissonance
3. Note to Myself
4. Sophistry
5. Canon
6. Inflating Dwarfs
7. Swerve
8. Beware Lilliputians
9. Torpor
10. Armadillo
11. Ignorance with Arrogance
Approx. 39 minutes