5/10 - [Hermetic Museum]
Jason Campbell begins with pretty typical harsh noise. Not bad, but not doing anything to stray from pre-existing noise acts. His second track, "Club Dead", has a lot more going on, pure chaos - still typical, though much better.
Marax begins very strong with interesting sounds that are minimal and well placed. As his side progresses, some of the tracks tend to revert to generic harsh noise styles. Some plus points are the low output levels of high gain harsh noise, which can be a nice break. Samples are used from time to time, and there is a lot more layering present in some of the stronger areas. Marax is experimenting with many approaches at once, so there is definite potential once the generic aspects are sifted through and an innovative style is born. [Aversonline]
5/10 - [Troniks]
Marax starts with one track, "Orgasmic Bludgeon Trauma", beginning with strange rhythmic pulses that explode into a traditional harsh noise onslaught. While this "take no prisoners" approach could be held up against the best, I wish it retained the innovation of the introduction. Though moments of excellence occur, nothing is as intriguing as the opening moments, and the one piece of approximately 10 minutes in length ends up being rooted in standard noise. Not bad, just not his finest moment. I know the project is capable of far greater things. DMSO (Drug Murder Sex Orgy) is a silly name for a relatively nice project. The opening track, "X-Rate", contains unusual music loops and a tribal beat. Unfortunately, this is ruined by samples taken from porno movies. Come on, samples of women moaning is so fucking overdone. Why ruin an otherwise excellent composition? The final track is made up of quiet, distorted vocals and brooding synth tones. I can't decipher any lyrics, but the textures are relatively cool. I would prefer the first track, but those samples just kill the atmosphere. This is an extremely promising project, I just recommend more originality in the conceptual approach. The cassette is package in a ziploc bag with a xeroxed sleeve (similar to other split releases of this series). [Aversonline]
6/10 - [Muchausen]
This is a collection of previously released material from over the course of Marax's existence, along with a couple of unreleased tracks. "Breathing Cold Memories" starts things off with almost nine minutes of excellent lo-fi dark ambient tones. Things start out incredibly slow and quiet, eventually bringing in a bit of guitar to add some melody. Things stay relatively monotonous and simplistic, but it works out well, you just have to crank the volumeÉ but watch out, because "Suffering is You" follows at ten times the output level of the first piece, complete with fluttering distortion, burly vocal shouts, piercing blips and whirrs, etc. "Beautiful Scars Remind" clocks in at more than 12 minutes and creates a superb death industrial atmosphere with suffocating low-end, subtle and indecipherable vocal manipulation, and light distortion. Sadly this track lacks the hypnotic qualities of the opener, so its length is far too tedious, but the atmosphere is there. "Pigeon-Holed" is a Bastard Noise cover, but having never heard the original I have no idea how it compares. It's mainly an ambient sounding bass hum with some midrange distortion and distinct vocal shouts somewhere in the distance. Not bad. The final three tracks basically amount to around 23 minutes of rather typical harsh, blaring noise. To be honest, I find it a bit boring, and aside from the blaring pain and insanity of "Hail the Goat", it doesn't really do anything for me. All of the recordings here are tastefully lo-fi, so while there is room for improvement, there's also a certain necessary quality possessed. The only thing I don't like, and this is a minimal issue, is that you have to keep adjusting the volume from track to track so as not to annihilate your speakers when things change up from crazy noise assaults to dark ambient soundscapes. The packaging is a bit disappointing. The CD-R just comes in a xeroxed black and white sleeve with very simple text and a pixilated image of a woman involved in some sort of sexual bondage act on the front. I know for a fact that Marax is capable of far, far more original ideas than this, which is the most disappointing aspect of the decisions made here. Nonetheless, were the picture clear and the fonts a bit more interesting/consistent, the simplicity could have been pulled off. I don't know, I'm picky. I think this CD does a very good job of displaying the boundless diversity that Marax is willing to explore. I prefer the calmer/more varied pieces such as "Breathing Cold Memories" or "Beautiful Scars Remind", but most of the tracks have their moments. I know that a lot of this material is pretty dated at this point, but if a constructive balance of styles can be reached (along with a more cohesive and appropriate visual presentation) Marax will indeed be a forceful unit. [Aversionline]
7/10 - [LSR]
The first thing I must note is the highly impressive display of ideas herein. The cassette is wrapped in a rubber band with a folded sheet of paper that houses artwork and explanations for each track, as well as lyrics for the two songs that use them! This is a great effort, and one that is all too rare within the genre. Many noise artists frown upon such acts, but I find this to be truly respectable.
The audio journey begins with quiet sweeps and some clean guitar that slowly moves into the foreground. Repetitive and droning, the combination works well. Next up is "Trust Self", a harsh piece with distorted feedback and blips, plus heavily reverberated vocals in the background. The vocals are sick and twisted screams, unlike anything I've ever heard from the most noted power electronics acts. The reverb and layering really creates depth on this piece. The following song is even harsher, an all out war with biting feedback and dense, crushing walls of noise. "Dragging Impact" is similar to elements of its predecessors, with thick movement and light distortion over subtle layers. Side B begins with "Sometimes the Lie Hurts Slow", which also uses vocals similar to "Trust Self", though this time things sound thinner. The final composition is one of Marax's first 4-track recordings. It sounds like radio samples being manipulated beneath heavy flanges and dense bass loops. The amount of effects increases gradually, but at more than 15 minutes in length the track is still a bit long. Again, I really like the packaging. Though simple xeroxes, the amount of information present is just great. There are a lot of original ideas here, and the project is obviously progressing nicely. Numbered of a mere 30 copies! [Aversionline]
8/10 - [Hermetic Museum]
Marax begins with "The Godmachine", a churning, distorted journey with bass heavy crunches and swirling stereo panning. Though relatively long (ending abruptly after nearly 15 minutes), the swells in volume and gradual increase in harshness balance repetition with flow. Disposable Sound Factory is next, offering three pieces of experimental noise. The first is an ambient track with synth swells and a bass line of sorts - lots of ethereal movement. Next is a similar piece, with more space and less layering. Delayed percussion sways back and forth at times, and a techno bass line kicks in to change the pace. Finally, "The Bubbling of Your Subconscious Mind" is a very fitting composition, considering the title. Numerous layers and lush movement suggest "bubbling", and the tonal range is much more diverse. I'd be curious to know how these tracks were created. Very well done, and nice consistency. Side B begins with Larb, whose nonsense title "Come All on Upside Your Head Wiffa Pipe (And I Don't Care)" does not do justice to the stunning ambience of the song. I'm talking bleak, suffocating blackness. Low tones and additional swells with vague, indecipherable samples cutting in and out. Also near the 15 minute mark, slight transformations keep things moving along the way. Jason Campbell finishes things off. The first track is a strange introduction, sort of like an 80's breakdance beat fighting to be heard between distorted cuts and splices. Not to mention painful stereo effects! It's another mystery how this track was pulled off. The final piece, "Untitled #5", is much harsher with dynamic attacks of treble and grinding bass loops.
This is an excellent collection, by four innovative artists. A rare find, indeed. Marax and Jason Campbell display a better coverage of output volumes and tones, where Disposable Sound Factory and Larb are a bit too quietly mixed. The tape is packaged in a black and white xerox sleeve with one panel of artwork per band. Nothing extraordinary, but it gets the job done. Being on cassette, some detail and clarity is lost, which hurts these otherwise exceptional acts, but that's not such an issue. I very much recommend this release, I'm shocked by the quality of each performance. [Aversionline]
"This is the first release in an ultra-limited series of conceptual CD-rs from Marax. Using a palette of subdued noise, blackened drones, and the occasional burst of full-tilt power electronics, Marax explores themes of mortality and grief through abstract sound construction. Limited to only 25 copies. Packaged in a black DVD style case with black sleeve." [eclipse records]
7/10 - [Crucial Blast]
This is the second CD-R in the "For the Love of Death" series, all of which are limited to only 25 copies, if I'm not mistaken. "Pass Away Into Heaven" is made up of three rather long untitled tracks (or at least the titles aren't included) totaling around 26 minutes. The first, and longest, piece runs nearly 13 minutes and is basically dark ambient that borders on death industrial thanks to some menacing low-end distortion crunch. The composition is very minimal, but I think it flows well, and there are just enough changes to keep things interesting. Some odd musical tones cut in and out, adding an almost melodic tinge to a degree, but it's mainly hums and drones running the show. Just past the halfway mark some manipulated vocals creep in, but I can't really tell what's being said. Regardless, it adds a great texture to the track, and at its best I'd almost rank this piece right up there with the calmer work of big names like The Grey Wolves, etc. The second track follows a similar style, though a bit harsher, with some dissonant musical tones in the background under dense distortion. The vocals in this one are sick! Distorted, throaty screams that almost remind me of Terror Organ. I'm not really a fan of the clouded musical textures in this one, but it's not that big of a deal. The third track starts straight out of the second, so perhaps all three of these tracks are supposed to be one large composition? Who knows? Regardless, the final track moves a bit faster than it seems, relying on a monotonous, droning loop and more dark, dingy distortion. It's not harsh, but it's not really what I would call calm by any means. It's pretty foreboding, which comes to an apex when softly whispered vocals fade in towards the latter portion. As with most Marax material the recording quality is tactfully lo-fi, with a good mix of tones and less muddiness than might be expected. The CD-R comes packaged in a DVD case with a simple xeroxed cover and insert with imagery of skulls and whatnot. Nothing truly exciting, but it works alright. There's also a brief passage called "Deeper in My Dreams" (Lyrics?) that deals with suicide: "Slicing puts the words just right, explaining where words fail me. The bright red relief, I must hold back, but I need it, I deserve it. No one better than IÉ" Despite the visual weaknesses, this is musically probably the best Marax material I've heard to date. Everything is fairly cohesive and focuses on atmosphere, and it's obvious that both thought and emotion went into the work, which is very important. I hope this is a sign of similar things to comeÉ [Aversionline]
"Marax returns with another descent into funereal themes with this new limited CD-r, limited to only 25 copies. Marax continues the construction of dark post-industrial drones and subdued noisy ambience on this disc. Packaged in a black DVD style case with black sleeve." [eclipse records]
7/10 - [Crucial Blast]
Here's the third CD-R in the limited edition "For the Love of Death" series. According to the tracklist there are two lengthy tracks that have each been divided into two parts, but I don't know if it's an error or some sort of mysterious intentional device, but the first portion of each track is merely a few seconds of silence? "Strange How the Dead Bleed" opens up at over 19 minutes of dismal, quiet, subtle dark ambient. You really have to crank the volume to hear anything, and the tones consist mainly of bassy rumbles and drones with some more percussive shuffling sounds coming in after about four minutes. It's pretty repetitive, but it works well as background music. It doesn't seem to demand a great deal of concentration, but it creates an excellent atmosphere. There's a brief bout of light distortion that adds some volume just past the halfway point, but then things sink back to a near silent presence. As things flow towards the end the composition reaches an almost Godflesh-like calm of sinister disharmonic feedback. Very nice. "Suttee" is much shorter, though still rather long at nearly nine minutes. The approach is similar in its sound and repetition, but a bit thicker and cleaner in its use of suffocatingly dense bass tones. It's also a bit more consistently loud (loud meaning "louder" in this case, as compared to the first track) and perhaps more involved. There are some vibrating undercurrents, churning midrange frequencies that at times sound as though their input levels were overloaded with low-end, and some shrill treble cuts into the distance as well (again adding a little bit of unfortunate peak level distortion). As with most Marax material the tastefully lo-fi sound is in fine form. The only thing that bothers me are the aforementioned areas where the levels peak out a bit due to excessive low-end, but other than that things sound fine - I just wish the general output volume was louder. The CD-R comes packaged in a DVD case with black and white inserts that repeat imagery of a grim reaper and the Marax logo. Inside is a tracklist, contact information, and a brief set of text called "Canvas" that basically deals with self-mutilation: "The years have passed and the tears have dried, I wonder why I haven't died? A canvas my arms have become, Of cuts and burns, more will comeÉ" The presentation isn't that strong, which is a shameÉ if Marax could step up that level of his work I know he would start to gain the recognition he deserves. Packaging faults aside, Marax is certainly coming into his own and really deserves to score a proper release (i.e. something that's professionally pressed and limited to more than 25 copies so that people can actually hear it). I hope that day will arrive soonÉ [Aversionline]
This is volume THREE in Marax's 'For The Love Of Death' series of super limited cd-r's (LIMITED TO 25) thematically focused on death and dying. Where the first volume was slow burning drones ala Lustmord or Organum, and the second volume was griity and granular like a Philip Jeck record, Voulme three pulls it back a little toward a much more ambient excursion. Distant rumbles like passing traffic heard from underwater, with barely audible digital skitter and analog hiss, and occasional far-away feedback. Super minimal, but quite nice. This one would definitely appeal to fans of Bernhard Gunter and John Hudak. [Aquarius]
This is volume FOUR in Marax's 'For The Love Of Death' series of super limited cd-r's (LIMITED TO 25) thematically focused on death and dying. Volume four is quite similar to volume three, with distant rumbles and faraway shimmers, gently panning from speaker to speaker, a hypnotic slow motion pulse, that is joined for the last ten minutes by what sounds like a train crossing signal way off in the distance. Another hyper minimal and very appealing installment in this awesome series (all this one clocks in at a quite short 16 minutes, good thing it's only 5.98.) [Aquarius]
This is part 5 in the ongoing "For The Love of Death" CDR series working it's way towards 12 chapters. Each release comes in a DVD box, and is limited to a mere 25copies. This installment features one 56+ minutes epic called "Quality of Life Has Long Since Passed (Dead But Breathing)." This is slow moving, gradual and subtle Dark Ambient. Penetrating low end tones shift and emerge atop one another, as restrained elements of a more abrasive nature wade in the distance of the murky foundation... static drifts, reverberating mysteries and so on. There are brief hints of melody or at least melody fragments that reveal themselves sparingly. The track maintains a similar feel throughout, but stirs it's rudimentary elements well, and even over it's lengthy duration, manages to stay engaging. There is a lo-fi quality to Marax's output in general that adds to the atmosphere and feel of his work without effecting the overall sound quality etc... kinda like B-movie horror versus Hollywood horror. The cheaper film stock and less than epic audio recordings somehow give the B-movie more impact, credibility and style. [Worm Gear]
This is part 6 in the "For The Love of Death" 12 CDR series, this outing features 4 tracks, just over 32 minutes. This disc opens with the title track, a rumbling drone of a piece, with distant clanks and reverberations peppering the murk. "Cleansing The Razor For Tomorrow" combines low hums with static washes and barely audible vocals and or samples, too quiet to discern that it is anything more than a voice. A slow pulse rises in the mix adding body to the foundation while abstracted tones give the illusion of far away melody. "Respirdal" is a 13 minutes piece rich with a rolling subterranean ambience and quiet echoes, simple but engrossing. "Fading Ember of Survival" blends restrained crackling electronics with a sub-bass throb that eventually swells to panning drifts distortions and piercing highs, and offers the most abrasive portion of the release before fading out gradually to conclude "Remembrance of Failures." This is another nice installment in the series, focusing primarily on subtle dark textures that I think reveal more the more acutely you listen. [Worm Gear]