Plastic Head

A short one…

The word ‘pyra’ comes from ‘wood-pyramid’ when referring to a pile of wood, like a (funeral / sacrificial / tribunal / burial) pyre. English-speaking folks might have known that, but in case you did not (yet), here you are… Purification through fire, or something…

It would be a waste of time to spent my time and energy in writing a biography / discography about one of Portugal’s best known and most notorious bands. Personally, I do follow Corpus Christii as from their debut Saeculum Domini, more than two decades ago (though, I admit that I do not have all of their releases in my collection (yet), apparently). And now they have returned with a ninth full-length album after signing to Immortal Frost Productions, a Flemish label with a limited yet enormously cool roster.

About nine years ago, two friends joined forces under the banner of Lichtblick. In 2015, founding members M. and A. and newly recruited musicians J. and D. recorded and released their debut, i.e. the independently released EP Feel Free To Lose Your Life. Some line-up changes happened, but with a renewed stable line-up, Lichtblick released their first full-length in 2018. Phrenesis too was independently released by the band itself.

I won’t go too deep at all into this band’s biography / discography, because you do know this Italian act for sure (in two years, these guys will celebrate their three decades of existence!), and it would bring me too far. I’ll go to the content immediately, and this time it deals with a compilation, actually, i.e. a collection of new and live tracks gathered as Rustworn.

I will not go too deep within this Flemish band’s history this time; I’d rather like to refer to one of the reviews I did write for their former full-length releases – see below for the links on Burden (Satanath Records, 2015) and Bleakness (Symbol Of Domination Productions, 2018). So, I will go almost immediately to the aural content of this newest effort by this act from Antwerp-based soil. But first a small introduction…

Statement (as mentioned in my review for this French project’s former album as well): “taking shape from personal neurosis, fears and anxiety, Blurr Thrower aims to exhume the secret ether from the meandering of the Human soul”. Don’t come telling me, afterwards, that I did not warn you…

I am often thrilled by split albums, especially when the bands or projects involved are much appreciated by my eardrums. Well, that is exactly the case with this (untitled) split in between two French acts, Paris-based Cepheide and Time Lurker from Strasbourg. I will give a brief description on both projects’ presence immediately, but I’d like to focus, in the first place, on this album itself.

The Post / Sludge genre is permanently growing, and for sure the French scene is one of the most prominent ones worldwide. One of my most beloved acts from France is Dirge, hailing from Paris, and active for almost twenty-five years. In the earliest years, the band brought some kind of industrialised and psych-grinding Metal (also quite ‘popular’ in their home country), yet throughout the years they evolved a lot. Dirge recorded and released six albums in the meantime, but the last one, Hyperion (*), was released four and a half years ago.

If I’m not mistaken – and since I’m a smart guy the chance is almost nihil – ‘Arkona’ is the name of a cape on the Rügen island, nowadays in Germany (Baltic Sea, close to Poland), where the Slavic fortress Jaromarsburg was built. Like many castles, it has been a source of inspiration for many Metal bands. Behemoth’s first recordings, for example (at the time that they did still play ‘real’ Black Metal), referred to that era / area, but there are quite some bands named after that specific historical place too.