Moss
Tape of Doom (Tape) 2003 No label
'Tape Of Doom' is the fourth release of Moss and the second one I have heard so far. Those who know Moss, know that they offer grudgingly devastating and just very ugly doom. This release is the very testament of the destruction Moss tries to deliver, using no more than drums, distorted bass guitar and twisted screams. 'Tape Of Doom' holds two tracks and approximately 50 minutes of 'nihilistic, misanthropic, extreme, funereal sludge-doom', as they say it so well themselves. The first song 'Death's Shadow' starts off in a Khanate-esque way with lots of reverb. In some way the first real riff of this song is an extremely evil bastard offspring of the My Dying Bride song 'Sear Me' due to the feedback in the sound. As the song progresses it turns into a sluggish and repetitive torture device. With some hints of feedback and the screams of the front man, the song broods on and on. Moss understands how to keep the tension in a song and delivers an intense piece of doom. The second and longest offering of this tape is 'Gimp Funeral'. The intro of this song is a formidable dronescape. The main body of the song holds a second excellent mixture of riffs akin to 'Death's Shadow', but overall there are less dynamics in this song, which makes it slower and even more unrelenting than the first one. The song ends perfectly fitting with a tasty bit of feedback. To put it short if you like extreme slug'n sludge, if your idea of melody is rumbling distorted bass covered with piercing and noisy feedback, then you desperately need Moss. Extreme doom at its finest.	1. Death's shadow 2. Gimp funeral Approx. 50 minutes
Reviewed by: Lawrence van Haecke
Moss / Nadja Split (Mcd) 2003 Foreshadow Productions
At first, British funeral/sludge doom outfit Moss, and Canadian funeral/ambient project, Nadja may seem like an odd pairing... and even after having listened to the disc, I'm still convinced that it is an odd pairing. Then again, perhaps there is an 'opposites attract' theme going on here. Moss being the raw, crushing, primitive doom, to Nadja's elegant and atmospheric funeral doom. At the very least, it certainly makes listening to both tracks interesting. Let's begin with Moss, seeing as how they have the first track on this split. Crushing, would certainly be an understatement... the sheer heaviness of the music which Moss create, is simply astounding. I don't think there is a good enough word in the English language to explain it. Listening to Moss is like being sucked into a dirty, primitive black hole... one from which there is no escape. Nadja's track is certainly atmospheric, however, unilke other Nadja releases, this song seems to be a bit more dirty... perhaps, to fit in a bit with Moss... or perhaps, we are simply seeing a different side of this project. Regardless, it is as elegant, and trance-inducing as ever. Nadja manage to weave atmospherics, and droning guitars seamlessly... and in the process, create something that is worthy of deep contemplation. So, indeed, a disc of opposites... but it works. Moss is the stark nihilism, to Nadja's veiled misanthropy. Bottom line: great mini album. Be sure to pick this up sooner, rather than later.	Moss: 1. ...Of Flesh and Blood Nadja: 2. I AM As Earth Approx. 20 minutes
Reviewed by: Matt Zuchowski
Thee Bridge Of Madness (CD-R) 2004 NOTHingness REcords
After the wonderfully dark, but rather short effort on the Uncertainty Principle split, fans of Torture Wheel were anxious for some new material. The same goes for the raw, dirty work delivered by Moss on previous releases. At NOTHingness REcords, both artists team up to plague the doom underground with two vastly different, but equally horrifying halves of a split CD. Torture Wheel kicks off with the first 30 minutes, and what a half hour it is! The new tracks have a wholly different and more advanced feel to the previous ones. Gone is the underwater atmosphere described by my colleague on this page. Instead, a song like 'Sarah (In The Black Mirror)' has more of a seashore-like sound, to stick with the marine imagery. Musically this means that the sound is less murky, and definately more in-your-face. This is also represented in the instrumentarium. There is a much bigger role for the lead guitar and - here and there - the keyboard melodies. In the meantime,Torture Wheel's trademark sound is still very much present. The subtle shift in approach make this a very good continuation of the previous works and E.M. Hearst proves that he can keep the quality top-notch and the music innovative and interesting. Expect some flowing, captivating, and almost cinematic funeral doom! The other side of the split is a whole different story. The first sounds of 'Aldebaran' make clear that the last two tracks are raw, grim and vicious. The first track is basically a 10-minute piece of guitar-based 'washing-machine' style noise. A loopy rhythm (no drums, though), loads of feedback, and crushing guitars. A true punishment for the ears (whether that is positive or not depends on the preferences of the listener). 'BenethBelow' is perhaps a more 'traditional' piece. Slow rhythms, slow riffing, grim (or crappy) production and a shitload of vile screams. And 20 minutes of it. You know what I'm talking about. This isn't really innovative as far as I'm concerned, but it is pretty dirty. I've heard a lot of similar sounding music lately though, so I can't say I am very impressed. Nevertheless, if you're a sick bloke who likes Bunkur or Khanate, this is right up your alley. In any case, whether you like either of the styles or even both, this is a very good and well-priced release. The format is pro-CDR in a slimline DVD case and it looks flawless. So if anything you've read here tickles your fancy, don't hesitate and order this. Money well spent, I'd say.	Torture Wheel: 1. Sarah (In The Black Mirror) 2. Chapel (The Shattered Stained Glass) 3. Blood Mirror (The Crawling Faces) Moss: 4. Aldebaran 5. BeneathBelow Approx. 64 minutes
Reviewed by: Oscar Strik