In the musical history of Mat “Kvohst” McNerney, you could plot two narratives (simplified, mind you). The main one leading via CODE and DHG to the current HEXVESSEL, the subplot exploring different sides of dark music in various constellations in lesser formats: the Gothic black metal of DECRIPIT SPECTRE, the old-school death-grindcore of GANGRENATOR, and most recently, released via SVART records in a few days, the apocalyptic post punk of BEASTMILK.
BEASTMILK is a hard-to-google quartet most likely mainly situated in Finland – there isn’t much information of them abound, but that doesn’t really matter. “Apocalyptic post punk” qouth the promo material, and I am bound to agree. All four tracks of this EP, all together not even 14 minutes long (you just wish it would’ve been 13 seconds shorter…), plods along with the upbeat, downer death-rock heavily indebted to the ilks of early CHRISTIAN DEATH and similar noctambulant cobweb-mongers. Mat’s vocals are, as fits the genre, far less melodical than in the mentioned projects, chanting subjects that just like the music could’ve – should’ve – been recorded just about 25-30 years ago: the fall of the Red Majesty of Soviet, the threat of nuclear war, et c. Apocalyptic, in short. The rhythm section pushes the heavy, monotonous beat of post-punk in its prime, with the randy, harshly fuzzed out guitars droning their lugubrious tunes on top.
Driven by the milk rather than the snow, BEASTMILK resuscitates the supremacy of the death-rock genre, that retains the taut, sombre grandeur that doesn’t succumb to bombastic self-indulgence and self-pitying. There is nothing original here, but four strong, not to mention incredibly catchy, tunes for way too late nights and heavy eyes that long since lost interest in their surroundings. Like love it is short and over in the morning, and the question arise; like our way of life, will it last?
Note 1: this will be released as a 7″ vinyl (33rpm I guess) only.
The promotional message, directly from the teat:
I would not drink milk and nor would I have my children’s blood paying for both sides of the war with my milk (let’s just get some more foreign oil). and how do you feel about the menstrual cycle. the blood: you can not continue to drink my breastmilk: the average menstrual cycle is twenty-eight days. drink it! how much money cause ovulation; a gushing geyser of oil? (mmm, warm!) contaminated blood products imported from the U.S. in the 1970’s and the 1980’s: quite content with just sitting here watching television pumping away: and menstruation does not occur. children are SICK! milk is linked to kidney stone fake-milk and toothpaste, to tainted liquor. It’s contaminated: I don’t want the machine to be taking over.
Note 2: their debut tape “White Stains on Black Tape” will be released as a 7″ called “White Stains on Black Wax” (clever!), through Svart Recs, coinciding with this EP.
-aVoid
Release: 2 April 2012
Label: SVART Records
Avantgenre: Apocalyptic Post Punk
Duration: 13:47
Origin: Finland
Official site: None
Review online since: 29.03.2012 / 18:29:37
TRACKLIST:
1. Void Mother
2. Children Of The Atom Bomb
3. Forever Animal
4. Red Majesty
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