Gnaw Their Tongues – All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity

Picture yourself lounging in front of a very large theater screen out in the middle of a very open field. It’s midnight, the moon is full and you have to sit through a film that is nothing like you’ve seen before. A black and white film, covering nothing but suffering, screams from people getting burnt alive in some cult ritual and an atmosphere that is so bleak you start to lose sense of who you even are. Gnaw Their Tongues sets this mood perfectly in his fourth full-length record “All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity”. The mastermind behind Gnaw Their Tongues goes by the name Mories, a dutchman from the Netherlands that is focused on three things; setting a mood that will build beautiful yet dark landscapes, making you want to listen to his records over and over again and scarying the hell out of you to the point you can’t sleep.

Experiental, noise, black metal; you can call Gnaw Their Tongues which ever you please but I’ll simply stick with calling him a creative force that won’t stop until he destroys the whole underground. Feeding you sounds of wretched screeches, huge samples that you will remember when you sleep at night and tons of heavy bass lines, Mories can get inside your head in a split second if you let him. The way that Mories creates these sounds are somewhat magical since it’s mainly all programmed. The only thing that aren’t programmed are the bass which gives you this bottomless pit of Hell feel. It’s the same exact feeling I get when I wake up in the middle of the night from a god-awful nightmare where my whole family is killed in a brutal hostage situations and I’m left soaked in their blood. The vocals, also not programmed, are pretty touching too, not in a good way either. More of in a way that will reach right down your throat, grab your inner organs and pull them out without hesitation. This whole record is muggy, distorted, twisted and just creeps me the fuck out on every level possible. “All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity” is the type of record that will leave you uncomfortable with the atmosphere it creates. On the other hand, it will leave you pleading for more, mainly because you will love the landscapes it paints. “Broken Fingers Point Upwards in Vain”, the third track on the record uses samples of a woman crying and begging for her life as she seems to be chased by some cult leader that wants nothing more than to tie her up, rape her and just use her at any cost. The samples make this record what it is, they give it life, set the mood for each track individually and make it as unholy as possible. Another great sound effect that is used quite often is the “Witch” effect, as I call it. It’s the same effect that the Wizard of Oz had when the witch would be seen or she would fly away on her broom. Great effects and programming will tear you to shreds on this record so be prepared with a suit made of steel because you will need it, no question about it.

Gnaw Their Tongues is something that most may not like but if you’re really into the whole experimental/noise with a tiny pinch of black metal, you’ll dig what Mories is doing on any of his records. The new record, “L’Arrivée De La Terne Mort Triomphante”, is out now via Candlelight Records. I’ll be reviewing that record also in the future so keep an eye out and support this one man, hell ride of a project while you still can.

*The last three tracks on the record are vinyl only.

1) My Orifices Await Ravaging
2) Verbrennt und Verflucht
3) Broken Fingers Point Upwards in Vain
4) The Stench of Dead Horses on My Breath and the Vile of Existence in My Hands
5) l’Ange qui Annonce la Fin du Temps
6) Gazing at Me Through Tears of Urine
7) Rife with Deep Teeth Marks
8 ) All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity
9) The Gnostic Ritual Consumption of Semen As Embodiment of Wounds Teared in the Soul
10)Thee, I Invoke, Akephalou *
11) I Hear Only the Clanking of the Scythe *
12) A Promise of Revenge Whispered from Stitched Lips *

Download the record here

Verwüstung - Beyond the Watercooler Sunset, We Feel New Life

As you enter the hallway to your new apartment building, you hear small whispers of conversation as the people give you looks of despair, emptiness and fright. You open the door to your brand new apartment, only to find that everything has been destroyed. Small fires are set in corners, blood soaked sheets and pillows are thrown all over the place. You feel helpless, so helpless that you literally just want to jump out the window of your brand new apartment and let your body twist and dangle as you fall four stories to your death. These are the type of things that your imagination dreams of when you listen to "Beyond the Watercolor Sunset, We Feel New Life" from Verwüstung.

Dwelling deep inside the San Francisco, CA walls is a man that goes by the name Verwüstung. While he does have a couple side-projects, Camlann and Airs, Verwüstung seems to be his golden pot of joy, which is a great thing. With "Beyond the Watercooler Sunset, We Feel New Life" you'll get one solid track that is a little under 30 minutes in length. As Verwüstung labels his music Black/Drone/Doom metal, you really can't grab onto anything that's similar to Drone or Doom. The track starts out by setting the mood perfectly, small guitar riffs echo through the trees as you seem to wake from your slumber. You get yourself ready for the day by cleaning and eating some food, now it's off to find what adventures are held for you in the wilderness. Chants of helplessness catch your ear, you hear two women talking about how the other is addicted to things that the devil himself would enjoy. Screams and pain hit the clouds as if the addicted woman is in the pain of her life. Around the six minute mark is when the shit hits the fan, with distored black metal riffs and surging feedback, you might want to strap yourself in for the ride.. This record is split-up into different chapters, you have the wondering paths of massive order and clamness and you have the chapters that will decay your inner thoughts of any beauty you can think of. Skip foward to around the sixteen minute mark and you'll feel so filthy and rotten that your teeth are falling out by themselves. Hope seems to be a theme on this record, at least for me. The way that the acoustic guitar just barrels through everything on the calm sections, it gives you that warmth that you missed as a child. While you listen to this record, atmospheres come alive, literally. You'll be able to smell smoke from a campfire, you can imagine birds flying in the sky and the spring time breeze just brush up against your cheeks. Four chapters, divided into two sections each; one for black metal, one for acoustic sets. The last leg of this record is a full on black metal section, filled with tones of grief, despair and just distortion that most major black metal bands can't seem to get right. Prepare for a very chilling yet amazing, sunny adventure with "Beyond the Watercoolor Sunset, We Feel New Life" because it's exactly what you'll get from this masterpiece.

So, what have we gathered from our garden of raw talent? Well, I learned that anything this man releases will be greatness and I'll be waiting for whatever you wants to drop on my head. I also learned that you can have clear landscapes filled with breezes and mystical emotions but on the other hand, that landscape is filled with evil, dark, twisted images that no man nor woman should have to be apart of.  Verwüstung - He loves to give you hope, bring you joy and make you feel on cloud nine but he will also show you some of the most wicked atmospheres your eyes will ever see.

1) Beyond the Watercooler Sunset, We Feel New Life

Download the record here