The post The Lady Who Sang
The Truth…BILLIE HOLIDAY
Documentary Now Showing! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Hi…Uncle Acid…..Mr Acid….Bob? How should we refer to you for the purposes of this impersonal conversation?

Mr. Starrs would be nice!

Obviously Blood Lust was a huge success, both commercially and critically – did you feel any pressure going in to Mind Control and if so, how did you seek to overcome that? Was it necessary to even do so?

No. There was no pressure because we don’t seek out to impress anyone or live up to anyone else’s expectations. I’m not in a band to be hugely successful or to get praise from others. I do it because I want to record my music. If people like it then thats great obviously.

What was the impetus to follow this path of occult-laced rock?

I’m not sure it really is occult-laced. It’s more based on my appreciation of horror and B movies. People have been trying to put us into this occult rock box so that they have something to write about. Its nonsense.

The extreme mystery of the band and yourself whilst the hype was building around Blood Lust was often a reason for people to check out the music, are you worried now that you’re a little more out there in terms of being in the public eye (giving interviews such as these) that the people who built you up are now going to turn their backs?

It doesn’t bother me. It should only be about the music, but I know theres plenty of those underground hipsters that only listened to us because we were the new thing that no one else knew about. The kind of people that go on about how they were the first to hear about us and now it kills them inside that so many others are enjoying our music too.

In terms of the mystery, it was simply a case of me not wanting to ‘play the game’ and have pictures taken. I don’t see the importance of pictures. We wanted the focus to be on the music and the concepts rather than on the musicians behind it. Everything is based on image now days and it’s disgusting. We wanted to show that its not important. We got our music out there without any pictures or over the top self promotion. Our albums were selling out everywhere but magazines would not feature us, or review our music because we refused to provide promo shots. I couldn’t believe it. We ended up doing a couple of promo shots in the end because our label had been good to us and I felt we were making it too difficult for them to promote the album. If someone is good to me, its only right to be good to them back. So, sometimes you have to compromise on certain things to maintain the balance, but the general idea is still there; We have no image to offer you. Just music.

Photos: Luana Magalhães

And on the flipside of that, why do you think your music appeals to such a wide range of people – from those into dirty black metal to those who are still think the 70s are raging?

The music we write is basically pop songs with fuzzy guitars and lyrics about murder and madness. It’s catchy and it destroys your brain. It has melody and harmony and it’s both light and dark. It’s abraxas audio. People will always want to hear good melodies despite what the record companies and radio stations try to dump on to us.

The sound for Mind Control, whilst clearly being a work of Uncle Acid, still sounds very different to Blood Lust – did you make a conscious decision to move away from the 60s blood-soaked horror movie atmosphere into the realm of more psychedelic pastures? Or was the move a natural and organic progression?

I think it’s important to move on with every album. Musicians are suppose to be creative. All three of our albums sound different and are based on different concepts.

What inspires the music of Uncle Acid – from both a past and present perspective? Do you find that on that subject you’ve always taken your cues and nods from similar sources?

I’m inspired by everything I listen to I suppose. I hear bits and pieces of everything in the music, from the Everly Brothers to Electric Wizard!

For the tech nerds amongst the readers, how do you go about recreating a sound that most people would pay good money to eradicate from their recordings? I’ve seen it said that you use vintage equipment and techniques?

We play live. Everyone in the one room facing each other. Even when there was just two of us in a damp room recording Blood Lust, we did it the same way. You face each other and play until you get it right. You get the basics down raw and take it from there. We don’t apply gloss in the Slaughterhouse!

You’ve recently released another acclaimed record, sold out two nights in a row in London (unfortunately I missed both, for very good reasons, I swear) and played Roadburn – what next for Uncle Acid and the deadbeats?

More live shows and more music.

Thank you for checking out the questions, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks very much!

The post CVLT Nation Interviews Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The post You Better F@#king Watch…
NEGATIVE STANDARDS 5.18.13 Full
Set Now Showing! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Whip Hand

Whip Hand

Stoic Violence

Stoic Violence

Stoic Violence

Stoic Violence

Stoic Violence

Youth Code

Youth Code

Youth Code

Youth Code

Youth Code

Children of God

Children of God

Children of God

Seven Sisters of Sleep

Seven Sisters of Sleep

Seven Sisters of Sleep

Seven Sisters of Sleep

Seven Sisters of Sleep

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

Gehenna

The post CVLT Nation’s
2nd Anniversary Photo Essay appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Deafheaven

Picture by rasmusejlersen.dk

Hexis

The post Raging Hi-Def Footage feat.
The Secret, Deafheaven and Hexis
Now Showing! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The post CVLT Nation’s
Favorite Tumblr This Moment:
Poison Ivy The CRAMPS appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Following on from 2010s Spiral Shadow, Ultraviolet continues in the vein of the Kylesa sound we all know and love (heavy rocking sludged out noise) but picks up a few neat tricks along the way. Laura Pleasants’ voice takes on a little more of the vocal weight, tripped out nuances filter through the wonder of “Exhale” and the traded vocals between Pleasants and fellow guitarist Phillip Cope here are a joy to behold, and massive choruses throw themselves at you with wild abandon.

Hazy washes of serenity infiltrate the otherwise gargantuan tones of “We’re Not Taking This” and “Long Gone” is positively sedate compared to the the huge sounds of what has come before. It seems that Kylesa have taken a step back within themselves this time around. There’s a definite introspection to be heard, particularly on the aforementioned “Long Gone” and the gentle smoothness of the track masks a curious and perhaps wistful emotion.

Flighty riffs course through “What Does It Take” (you’ll notice a lot of questioning during this record as Kylesa strive to understand the darker aspects of their collective souls) and a bittersweet echo flows though the majestic dirge of “Steady Breakdown” which ebbs with a deep melancholy and a heartbreaking, twisting solo that curls and moves with an astute sorrow. There’s much to be heard in the way of loss on Ultraviolet, and whether that refers to loss of the self or another, it’s clear that this feeling is a huge influence on the band of late and the music itself is a therapy no human should ever need to delve into.

Darker, more that atmospheric soundscapes wind their way into the Kylesa sound during the morose, Cope led “Low Tide” and the tangible weight of a pure sadness pushes through the clouds of mourning and lead into the sudden forward motion of “Vulture’s Landing.” Ultraviolet closes on the beautiful anguish of “Drifting,” a track which works its way around your heart with deft electro-pulses and beats drenched in cold dread that build towards tortured shouts of “I let go.” Moments of crushing humanity are wrought through Laura’s voice and the words she has been driven to speak. Kylesa may have stepped back in terms of downright destruction and noise on Ultraviolet, but by no means lessens the impact of this affecting and personal opus.

Ultraviolet will be available via Season of Mist on May 28th and whilst you’re waiting for that, why not check ‘em out on one of the tour dates below, presented in conjunction with the CVLT.

The post Vulture’s Landing…
KYLESA: Ultraviolet Review appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Swans – Dachstock Bern Switzerland 2012-12-03 02

Swans – Dachstock Bern Switzerland 2012-12-03 05

SWANS Live Dachstock Bern Switzerland DOWNLOAD LINK HERE!

The post The SEER
SWANS Live 2012
Full Set Download! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Fell Voices
Their microphone-less screaming alone would have been enough to consider them one of the bands of the weekend, as those inhuman howls could be heard from the hallway outside. The fact that their black metal fury even outclasses what can be heard on their records helps, too.

Ash Borer
Hypnotic and deeply atmospheric but still with enough black metal bite to their performance to provoke furious headbanging, Ash Borer were a much needed dark cloud of evil looming over the more psych-oriented line-up.

Godflesh
Performing the whole ‘Pure’, with Robert Hampson joining them on stage and everything. Does one need to say any more?

Antisect
Just like the other crust/d-beat legends, Doom, Antisect played the Patronaat and nearly torched the place with their fiery, remorseless attack. Projecting various thought-provoking messages, questioning what the revolution really is and what we are doing with it, Antisect proved that all these years later, the relevance both of their music and message is as intact as ever.

The post CVLT Nation Covers
ROADBURN 2013 Day 3 appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Amenra
Arguably the most intense, harrowing performance of the whole festival, Amenra were pure catharsis – the outpouring of pain and anguish was evident in each blood-curding Colin Eeckhout scream and every resounding note of their instruments. Most massive sound of the weekend too – the soundcheck before the show alone was enough to nearly rearrange internal organs.

Electric Wizard
The culmination of the Electric Acid Orgy came with the mighty Electric Wizard themselves, and the masters of drugged-out psychedelia went through what was, essentially, a perfect setlist, closing out in style with ‘Funeralopolis’ and ‘Dopethrone’.

Cough
One of Electric Wizard’s most drugged-out, dirty spiritual sons, Cough obviously played on EW’s Electric Acid Orgy day and left a deep imprint on every mind with their hazy, evil kind of stoner doom.

Hexvessel
Pastoral, beautiful yet potent hymns to nature and spirits of old – Hexvessel repeated their Het Patronaat appearance of last year enriched by a couple of songs off their newest EP, and they were as fascinating as in 2012.

Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats
Much more than just hype, Uncle Acid was one of the highlights of the day, their shady and mysterious-sounding psych-rock far above the typical norm for this sort of thing nowadays.

Witchsorrow
Unleashing riff after doomy riff until the whole crowd is beaten down, Witchsorrow are doom personified. The bands on their patch jackets don’t lie!

The post CVLT Nation Covers
ROADBURN 2013 Day 2 appeared first on CVLT Nation.