Mondo Bungle

Crisis was Douglas Pearce's band pre-Death in June, and Holocaust Hymns is a phat comp of their stuff.

And it is a totally perfect execution of this kinda more punky post punk music kinda like... Flux of Pink Indians or The Mob or something. Really consistent and infectious. I think it's one of the best post punk releases out there, and it started another music rampage within me when I heard it. Everything about it is great.

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Mondo Bungle

I gotta say that there's people calling this one of the weirdest sounding albums ever, and that's just far from being true. Sure it's unusual, but hardly in the same league as some avant garde music out there.

It is though, a highly progressive and complicated presentation of folk music, which I can't imagine being a genre you go to for off the wall complexity and arrangements. (disclaimer: I'm sure there's tons of that and I am by no means a folk expert)

This definitely would be my favorite folk album though. Very extensive compositions made up of a plethora of acoustic instruments. Multiple guitars, flutes, all kinds of drums, violiny strings and whatever. The musicianship is virtuosic from all angles, really an astounding display here. And it's quite often very "listenable". Sure, the structure of the songs are unusual, experimental, and highly diverse, but it's not some atonal romp of nonsense instrument noise. Musically it's not as out there as you'd expect from some reviews. It does dip into bits of bizarre experimentation with screechy strings and vocals, yeah, but that just adds to the party. There's an underlying uniqueness within the music but all in all it's more "prog" than "avant" folk, with advanced musicality and very contrasting lyrics about all kinds of odd mystical things. It also has an organic sense of psychedelia to it. That is to say, not brought about by electronic effects and modulations, but it just exists within the acoustic instrumentation. That's another pretty unique (and awesome) bit to it.

So yeah I think this is an incredible album, and highly recommended. I think it's a must hear for people exploring folk, psychedelic, experimental, progressive, or all of the above music... if you're reading and care or whatever

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Anteater

First Utterance was a massive album for me in college, along with stuff along the lines of Camel, Caravan and a boatload of zeuhl.

Also, gotta love the bonus cuts that came with the remaster a few years ago.

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Anteater's 21 Fav Albums Of 2020

Anteater's Daily Tune Roulette

Mondo Bungle

I never had much luck finding videos for this, and come to think of it I don't really remember how I listened to it all and where cuz these days I can't find a good link either, but like **** the cops

I can call this entry one of the more recent additions to my mental encyclopedia, in fact very recent, Frownland recommended it at some point as a highlight of the extensive Haino catalogue. And thankfully so, it immediately became a major favorite drone album of all time. It's just textural overkill, and how it's pulled off on a crank organ is beyond me, but basically I wanna have sex with it.

It expanded my lust for timbre greatly.

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Frownland

So good that he had to release three different versions of it.

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Mondo Bungle

It's been surprisingly long since I even listened to this but it's always so sappy and filled with <3 hooks and all kindsa fruity love

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Mondo Bungle

read or not bitch I'm bored



Steel Pole Bathtub - The Miracle of Sound in Motion, 1993

A personal standout of the vast noise rock inheritance of my father, this one has been ingrained into my mind quite adhesively. Whenever I listen to it the hooks, melodies, riffs, all of that floods the vessel that is myself, and I'm reminded just how much it really means to me.

SPBT are very noisy even within their particular noise rock pool, but are also great at writing and delivering an ear worm hook. The first two tracks are among my favorites of all time, going from completely degraded surf riffing to sample infused uncompromising destruction to almost blues inspired, almost melancholic clank alongs.

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Mondo Bungle

How exactly did Timeghoul become my first death metal band? Such an odd entry point, but I've been about them for who knows how long. Their style is incredibly distinct and forward thinking, especially for their time. The structure/content of their music is intensely progressive and experimental but undeniably it's still old school raw death metal that is incredibly virtuosic and original in the grand scheme of things.

I suppose I took a shortcut to avant-garde metal by starting here.

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Mondo Bungle

World's End Girlfriend - Hurtbreak Wonderland, 2007

I thought this might've already been in here but I guess not. Anyway it's far and away one of the most transcendent, ineffable, beautiful, dynamic, emotional, etc albums I've ever had the pleasure to hear. Even after the 80 minutes is up I still want more. I need more.

A magnum opus if there ever was any. Post rock but by way of glitchy electronica/breakbeat and modern classical, so not like any other post rock you know. There's not even much rock at all.

100 Years of Choke is simply one of the most sublime pieces of music to ever grace this universe with its sonic presence. Building throughout the whole track, it explodes into a massive flurry of emotions not yet named.

One I'll always recommend for everyone.

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Mondo Bungle

Barkmarket - Gimmick, 1993

I probably wouldn't rate Barkmarket as highly as some of the noise rock compatriots in my repertoire like SPBT but this album was still always there for me nonetheless. On CD.

It can get stale after a while but is a great and fun record all the same. Noise rock/grunge smoothie with post hardcore elements from their earlier days.

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