SolarKult<

My fondness for Blacklodge goes back to an interview I read in Oakenthrone magazine some aught years ago. Saint Vincent, the mastermind behind the band, gave a very bizarre interview detailing his philosophy of Satanism through the use of drugs. He claimed that modern magick and all of the occult inner-workings could be achieved through the meditative state brought on by drugs. Not just the ethnogens so popular with legitimate tribes and white yuppie college kids alike, but any drugs - his personal favorite being heroin. It was a bizarre stance that I never thought about before, and after he spoke of drugs as being a way to both escape and actually experience reality, he gave a long explanation about the Satanic nature of technology, our disconnect from ourselves, and the Faustian bargain that was creating the nuclear bomb. He seemed to be a man truly living out his philosophy of technological nihilism, and I've always found that peculiar brand of though intriguing.

Naturally, I wanted in. I really hadn't heard too much industrial black metal at the time, and the stuff I did hear didn't seem as devoted or thought out. Enter Solarkult and it's weirdo occult drug harshness.

The album opens up with a pretty dope deep house style intro "ftp://SolarKult.NeXus" - which, in spite of it's incredibly cheesy name, is actually an effective and evocative opening. Sampling industrial noises and droning synths, the pounding 808 drums really set the mood. The listener already knows that this is not average black metal album. "Mi§§ion" is the first proper song, and it's actually still pretty goddamn hard to figure out what Blacklodge is going for - there are definitely some standard black metal riffs here - tremolo minor keys litter the song, but there's also these really bizarrely placed sliding scales, which oddly enough, are somehow very French. They remind me of the times Peste Noire or Hell Militia would do those random key changes and shift the tempo to a more bouncing roll rather than a blasting fury.

"Iron Icon" continues this seamless blend, but at a more razor sharp point, with incredibly fast blasting sections and classic black metal riffing filtered through grainy distortion, and industrial saw synths before turning into an almost d-beat punky black metal tune. It's unsettling how many times Blacklodge decides to change the tone of a single song, and "Iron Icon" is a prime example of the incredibly effective way that Blacklodge just rips out melodies and replaces them with jarring atonal riffing and noise but manages to stay incredibly catchy. You could legitimately dance to this song at most points, but it also ends with the best black metal riff on the album. That's certainly a rare skill.

What's bizarre about this album is that it actually is industrial - there are very rare moments where there are keyboards, there are no weird little melodies placed in the songs to create a sense of poppy-ness, there are no sexy images of ladies in leather and ball gags. There's just this sense of dread, the ball gags of Throbbing Gristle replaced with the harem of drug addled musicians. Yes, there are synths, but they are noisey plodding sounds ("11rd eYe Chemistry" and "PreQuel to the Kult" are almost anti-music at one point, shifting serpentine between walls of noise and rhythmic pounding). The hints of melody are replaced by a grandiose aggressive rhythm which the occasional apocalyptic tremolo melody and incredibly tortured vocal delivery ("Drugz MysticisM [#A:Vision]" and "MartYr*Complex"). Saint Vincent sounds strung out, hopeless, and furious all at the same time, and it creates a very demanding listen.

I know this review started off like a track by track, but I think that the sound of the album itself is so surgical and precise, that it only takes a few songs to really decide if one is going to like this album or not. It's incredibly atmospheric, but that atmosphere is dense and murky, like album cover suggests, and it only takes a few moments to realize if this pulsating, constantly shifting aesthetic is for someone or not. But, the theme itself is delivered in such a carefully constructed and artisan fashion ,that it's hard not to be, at the very least, intrigued by the concept. With liner notes in every song, the thematic elements overtake the music in a lot of aspects. This is not to say that the music isn't interesting, but it does drag on a very long time - with sections and riffs sort of thrown in repetitive manners. "LuXifer Meme" is a great example of this: it's a very good song, it seems put together by the atom, and there are very cool elements to the song, but the number of times each one is repeated makes for a very long, singular, experience.

But, overall, Solarkult is actually a very, very good album - especially the first time through. There are a lot of subtleties and a lot going on at any given point - it's hard not to respect that kind of craftsmanship. It may seem overwhelming and too much, and at some times, it is, but for the most part, it's an album that is truly unique - blending obviously electronic and techno elements with black metal never sounding so natural. Sure, industrial purists may hate it, black metal purists may hate it, but Saint Vincent has a vision, it may be clouded by opium, but he has committed himself to the aesthetics of decay and addiction in a way that has never really been done before in metal. The utter rejection of any pop elements, tropes of industrialism, and even tropes of black metal, make Blacklodge a band worth paying attention to, if anything for the no fucks given attitude on all fronts.

Written for The Metal Observer: http://www.metal-observer.com/articles.php?lid=1&sid=1&id=14838


Warning to all Black Metal fans. Prepare for a new experience unlike any other so far explored by your precious genre. It started with MYSTICUM planting the seeds, and ABORYM's cultivation: a virus spreading through the French underground. Industrial Black Metal can no longer be contained, and BLACKLODGE has pioneered this monstrous fusion to the next level. At last, pulsating industrial beats meet blackened fury without compromise or adulteration.

We're not talking about your minimalist BLUT AUS NORD approach. The riffs on “Solarkult” are more technical, but in line with both the Black Metal vibe and the myriad industrial beats hammering below them. What's so special about this band is the frequent use of EDM-style synthesized drums, as opposed to the standard “rock kit” drums programmed by bands like LIMBONIC ART. The difference you feel is the bass drum playing a larger role, acting as the beating heart of the album. Oftentimes it carries the rhythm on its own without the snare. This is also effective in blast-beat sections where the bass drum is the only one keeping time.

This album is so surgically engineered that it's even devoid of keyboards. There's no need for catchy keys to distract any listener who dedicates his or herself to uncovering the deeper meaning within the guitar lines. Songs like “Angels Refinery” and “Templars” will be most ear-pleasing on the first listen, but once you get used to this unusual sound, you'll become equally entranced by the less accessible tracks. And with over an hour of material to navigate through, you could listen to this album twenty times and still get hooked on a certain song like didn't like before. Slowly but surely, it all makes sense.

One reason this album endures so well is its dual nature. Since this is both a Metal album and an Industrial album, you could listen to it both ways. Two magnets of opposite polarities become twice as powerful when combined, but when pulled apart they are still effective on their own. Subtract the computerized beats, putting a real drummer behind these riffs, and you have a quality Black Metal album. Take away the guitars from these techno drums, and it still stands on its own in the eyes of industrial enthusiasts (industrialists?).

This union of Black Metal and Industrial pervades the lyrics entirely. Ever since MYSTICUM started the whole “Planet Satan Revolution,” many bands in the same vein have conceptualized the dark lord as a pharmaceutical medium. “Solarkult” seems to be a concept album about how Satan enslaves humanity through drugs and technology. However you interpret it, what Saint Vincent sings about is as darkly bizarre as his delivery, as if your typical Black Metal vocalist was committed to an insane asylum.

“Solarkult” is almost frightening in how it so perfectly combines two distinct genres without making concessions. This is a must for those not offended by mixing Industrial into their Black Metal. On the flip side, Industrial fans looking into extreme Metal can use this to acclimatize. But whichever your persuasion, this is guaranteed to be one of your most unique listening experiences. Whether you headbang to the riffs or dance to the beat, this is well worth your dedication.

(Online August 28, 2008)

I mentioned Blacklodge in my review of Abigor’s “Fractal Possession” and it was this particular album I had in mind. “SolarKult” represents twisted and tormented electro/industrial black metal mindfuck of high calibre. The music has become a lot more complex compared to the debut which was more straightforward. On “SolarKult” the band use less blastbeats than on the debut. However, the decreased amount of blastbeats hasn’t lessened the intensity of the music. Instead the band has increased the use of electronics, samples and effects to the degree that we’re talking about a true hybrid of technology and black metal. Every song on this album is carefully crafted (or should I say engineered) and highly ambitious with great attention having been paid to every single detail.

The production is very professional and it’s also heavier and fuller than on the debut. This guarantees that you can hear every beat, sample and effect as the band do their best to overload your senses and push you over the edge. There’s a pretty hard techno beat on almost every track and it actually works well in this context. Conceptually the band continues on the same path as previously: hard drugs, Satanism, insanity and technology.

“SolarKult” seems to be some kind of concept album about Satan manipulating people through technology to do his will. An excerpt from “Mi§§ion”: “Back_to flesh / Re-inited/Reinjected in humans’ web/A life_A bioshape_A will/Among Worms to carve His Action”. These people then worship Satan aided by drugs: “Satanic Rush/Crawling on the ground/Tetanized * Spiting/Electric eyes * Staring/At the Black Idol” (“PsychoActive SataN”). Finally these people become the rulers of Earth: “Alone / Wandering on Earth/We stare at the Sun/Gate which gave life on Earth/Gate which will bruise it/We are/The New Templars” (“Templars”). Read the lyrics while you’re listening, as they definitely add to the experience along with all the effects used in the songs.

The band uses a drum machine throughout the album but on e.g. “MartYr*Complex” and “Forge=PhœniX” they employ both real drums (played by Mr Necromorbus) and a drum machine simultaneously. As interesting a combination as this may sound, I dislike it in this context since I don’t think biological beats (as they are referred to as in the booklet) fit the music. Just leave the beats to the machine, OK? This is no huge disturbance for me though.

Interestingly enough, “PsychoActive Satan” has a riff that reminds me of the riff in the beginning of Sodom’s “Tired and Red”. All the tracks are pretty complex when it comes to structure and the plentiful use of effects makes the music even more challenging. I also noticed that the first and last track have a pretty similar structure, perhaps that’s meant to show that the album has come full circle and the end is reached. The music does get rather disjointed at times but if you’re able to join the dots, you will enjoy this album thoroughly. At times I do miss the straightforwardness of the debut but the band has decided to go deeper into their music and this is the logical result of that. This is the most elaborate electro/industrial black metal I’ve heard thus far and perhaps a future classic of the genre. If I could use only one word to describe “SolarKult”, it would be “overwhelming”. Best tracks: “Mi§§ion”, “PsychoActive Satan”, “11rd Eye Chemistry”, “Luxifer Meme” and “Angels Refinery ”.