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JETHRO STULL (aka DAVID BAGSBY) :
JETHRO STULL
Stull Kansas, a small town in the middle of but-f*ck USA. But it's a town full of dark rumors, about dark things. There was (until April of 2002 when it was demolished by its owners) an old abandon church in the Stull cemetery that was originally built in 1867. Also in the cemetery was a massive old pine tree that dated back to almost the same time that the church was built, the town cut it down in 1998. Both entities were rumored to be involved in various evil goings on. The tree is rumored to have at one time been used in the hanging of a witch. Other witches subsequently flocked there each year on the Spring Equinox, holding a black mass, and dancing around the old pine. The church had been in use until 1922, but now, many feel it is the door to one of the seven gateways to hell. This idea has become so widely spread that the band Urge Overkill titled their 1992 EP "Stull" and featured the song "Stull Pt. 1", and a picture of the old church on the cover. The devil reportedly makes a personal appearance in the cemetery at midnight on Halloween, to visit the grave of a witch with whom he had a child. Their offspring is said to materialize in the surrounding woods, taking on the form of a werewolf. Revelers who have made midnight visits to the cemetery have reportedly fallen victim to various mysterious phenomena. Many tell of experiencing missing time, finding that although according to their watches they spent several hours in the cemetery they remember next to nothing. There is supposedly a well-hidden stairway somewhere near or in the church that leads directly to hell. If you take it down, you won't be coming back any time soon. It is said, that though the church was a roofless ruin for years, no rain ever fell into the gaping hole. Instead, the drops rolled off the walls without ever hitting the unholy ground. There are many other stories as well, such as if you were to arrange two bottles into an upside-down cross and then toss one at the church's inner wall, it would never break, no matter how hard it was thrown. Over the years, Stull's police and concerned citizens have sought to dissuade tourism, albeit ineptly. On October 31, 1999, Lawrence broadcast and print reporters were allowed to stay on the site for hours but were ushered away thirty minutes before midnight, thus perpetuating suspicion instead of permanently alleviating it. Both Kurt Cobain and Electric Hellfire Club vocalist Reverend Thomas Thorn have made pilgrimages to the church and cemetery. There are many web sites about this creepy place if you want to learn about it, but here is a good one to start with.
Why did I just tell you all that, because this dark, creepy CD, from mastermind David Bagsby, is named for, and inspired by this very place. David has put out many releases, most are Experimental Progressive-Rock in nature, but Jethro Stull happens to be his 13th release, and contains 13 tracks, and is reportedly recorded in Scream-O-Phonic Stereo! There are no vocals, and no real "songs", the CD plays out like a musical score to the most horrific horror movie never made. Odd sounds are programmed together in bizarre ways to induce feelings of dread and trepidation in the listener. Knowing the history of Stull before hand adds greatly to the discs impact. One can just imagine hunting around the gloomy cemetery in the dark for the fabled hidden stairs, while this eerie soundtrack plays to an unseen audience. I'm not sure how often one might play such a disc, but it does manage to accomplish what it set out to do. It would make for a great Halloween disc to play while kiddies knock at the door, or it could be your background music while you read the latest Stephen King or Clive Barker novel. Anyway, if you like this sort of dark, atmosphery stuff, then this'll be up your alley.
RATING = 8 Horror Soundtrack (Released 2002)
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VLAD III / DAVID BAGSBY :
EERIE ESTATES / LUNARIA
The last time we checked in with the eclectic mad musical scientist know as David Bagsby, it was to take a look at his creepy Jethro Stull project (see above). Since that time he has released a slew of bizarre, experimental Prog-Rock discs, but there are two we are especially interested in here at the Pad. The first one is recorded under the moniker Vlad III, and the album is entitled "Eerie Estates". The second, released under his on name is "Lunaria". I'm reviewing these two together because although there are differences between the two recordings, there are also many similarities. In Dave's own words, Eerie Estates is "a collection of Gothic Soundscapes based on concepts by H.P. Lovecraft", whereas Lunaria is "a collection of gothic mood music based on the moon". Both CDs are very sort of minimalistic in nature. Restrained keys and synths are employed to move the listener along on an uneasy, mesmerising journey. With Eerie Estates, the music moves not unlike the wind. The wash of synths wavers in and out of earshot, giving the listener the impression that as they make there way through the mysterious abode in question, that some areas or rooms are more attuned to the netherworld than others. With Lunaria, the sound is more of a constant, and has a grander, more ominous effect. Many passages almost seem perfect for use as a soundtrack to some mind-bending sci-fi drama like "2001" or even "Apollo 13". In general, Vlad III comes off as a darker collection of low-key sonic creepiness, while Lunaria makes me think of blasting off to distant planets. Both however are an enjoyable sonic head-trip. My only complaint here, with regard to the Vlad III disc (and to some extent Lunaria) is that there is not much difference from track to track. Eerie Estates could have easily been done as one long continuous track, and no one would say that this part didn't fit with another. In fact, that might have worked better, because as your eyes are closed and you're drifting away with these discs, it's often distracting when that eminent 2-second pause comes in to separate the tracks. It sort of momentarily ruins the atmosphere.
RATING = 8 Horror / Sc-Fi Soundtrack (Released 2005)
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