Modern iconic works

[Eoin McLove]

I've been thinking it must be near time Bölzer released some sort of follow up to Hero,  and I have very high hopes as it stands out to me as a bold and iconic statement in an often bland and samey death/ black landscape.  Divisive in its overall positive message,  Marmite vocals,  bright and atypical artwork, clean and powerful production... pretty much every aspect has split opinion,  yet it towers monumentally over most.  Interestingly, I haven't noticed much of a move from other bands to follow in their wake even if the new Svartidauđi seems to have put a spin on a similar lyrical concept, leaving them as a somewhat anomalous and unique entity- what a priceless position to hold!

What other modern bands or albums are making equally brave statements?

[Kurt Cocaine]

https://youtu.be/WYeDJxWvA_I

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I knew this would feature Hero, and it's hard to match on the terms defined. The Howling Sycamore album, for example, is utterly unique, but at the same time it's also a transparent mix of pre-existing elements.

In terms of marmite-like releases of an iconic nature though, I stick to my praise of the Gospel of the Witches debut Salem's Wounds. Love it or hate it, there's a creative force running through every aspect - music, lyrics, aesthetic, concept - that elevates it above the pack. And, similar to Hero, it explicitly plays with iconography in order to get right up into the face of the listener, for them to embrace or kick away, but unapologetically... as it should be.

[Eoin McLove]

I haven't heard either.  I'll give them a listen.

[Pentagrimes]

The current Lingua Ignota is the one that springs immediately to mind. Number one in a field of one.

[Trev]

I'd probably say Vektor's Terminal Redux, great mix of a few different styles and while not really breaking too much new ground it's absolutely masterfully crafted.

[Eoin McLove]

The current Lingua Ignota is the one that springs immediately to mind. Number one in a field of one.

I read an interview with her in the last ZT and it put me off checking her out.  I'll give her a spin later and see.

[lifeeternal]

The current Lingua Ignota is the one that springs immediately to mind. Number one in a field of one.

I read an interview with her in the last ZT and it put me off checking her out.  I'll give her a spin later and see.

She is brilliant, like pentagrimes said her new one stands on its own.

[Pentagrimes]

The current Lingua Ignota is the one that springs immediately to mind. Number one in a field of one.

I read an interview with her in the last ZT and it put me off checking her out.  I'll give her a spin later and see.

Why?Just curious, I don't read ZT

Not sure if it'll be your thing entirely Andy, definitely not metal. Think more Diamanda Galas, The Body, that kinda thing

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

I've been listening to it this morning after the snatch posting it elsewhere. Number one in a field of one, I don't know. It's very good, but it also sounds a lot like a psychotic Fever Ray.

[Pentagrimes]

Definitely don't get Fever Ray off it at all, but I'd be more familiar with The Knife.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

You're probably closer with Diamanda Galas alright. There was an extended section in one of the earlier songs that had a definite Karin Dreijer sound to it. Anyway, I haven't gone past a first listen yet, and there's sure to be more to come.

I read a piece on her in the Guardian a couple of months back, and the tone of the piece was pretty off-putting, i.e. peak entitled millenial. Made it sound like music for people who think no-platforming and calling-out are the pinnacle of social action, that kind of vibe. That was down to the author of the piece though.

[Pentagrimes]

I'm more interested in her music that how journalists present it, but I've also never been on the recieving end of continuous physical and emotional abuse from a partner so it's not my place to judge how she deals with that in her work. I understand how certain journalists have seized on that as an angle to champion her for their own purposes however.

[Eoin McLove]

The current Lingua Ignota is the one that springs immediately to mind. Number one in a field of one.

I read an interview with her in the last ZT and it put me off checking her out.  I'll give her a spin later and see.

Why?Just curious, I don't read ZT

Not sure if it'll be your thing entirely Andy, definitely not metal. Think more Diamanda Galas, The Body, that kinda thing

Obligatory black metal reference that I'm guessing will be nowhere to be seen or heard judging from the rest of the description of her music and talking about nervous breakdowns on stage and/or in the studio set off various alarm bells.  As I said,  I'll check the album out later and may well be pleasantly surprised.  I doubt it, though 

[Pentagrimes]

Zero black metal on there to my ears anyway bar the harsh vocals.


Anyway .. moving on, I expect I'll get shit for this but I reckon Blood Incantation's "Starspawn" might be an iconic one as well for a couple reasons, largely the fact that it was a tightly written and composed album that summoned a particular era of death metal (Roadrunner and Nocturnus/MA in particular) but somehow managed to put a fresh spin and self contained identity on it, particular as it came out in a period that felt like the beginning of the saturation point we're at now. It just feels very much ahead of the pack.  The space theme seemed different, the attention to songwriting and quality alone was great, and it felt very different from what was going on in DM at the time.

I'm also aware much like Bolzer, many people just wrote it off as overhyped shite. But I genuinely think it holds up as a very special, unique record for the current era of DM. I still go back to it a couple times a month and still love it.