CURRENT 93 : ALEPH AT HALLUCINATORY MOUNTAIN
Coptic Cat
I was so NOT prepared for this! Lulled into a sense of false post-hypnotic relaxation by the subtle and velvet gloved “Black Ships Ate The Sky” magnum opus… this is the equivalent of being punched in the face by a Deity! My first thoughts on hearing the opening number “Invocation Of Almost”? It’s the Pink freakin’ Fairies! Huge acid-drenched guitars wash over you with overdriven distorted fury – damn! I was settled in with a glass of wine, working by candlelight – then I was in an acid nightmare! David Tibet, you cunning twisted bastard!
The next thing that hit me was how not-dissimilar Syd Barrett, Steve “H” Hogarth (of Marillion, and David Tibet are. There are definite voice similarities when it comes to spoken word style passages at least, which of course, is just what David Tibet does vocally anyway! Strange eh? Or not. Hmmmm. David’s voice is an acquired taste of course, but his laconic delivery never fails to hypnotise and draw you into his own weird world.
This is clearly a creative renewal of sorts for David, as he’s never been one to rest on his creative ‘laurels’ anyway, as any longstanding Current 93 fan can attest. This time around, he has surrounded himself with a veritable smorgasbord of classic and current (groan) talent. In no particular order, you will find Rickie Lee Jones, Sasha Grey, Andrew WK(!), Matt Sweeney, 12 string guitar specialist James Blackshaw, and the C93 ‘regulars’ we all know and love – Alex Neilson, and Steven Stapleton (also with the awesome Nurse With Wound).
This album sweeps through a miasma of sounds and styles, from the ‘apocalyptic neo- folk we know, through retro classic “Rawk”, to blasts of almost Skullflower-esque raw cosmic drone! It is a simply extraordinary release! The musicianship throughout is organic and simplistic, yet conversely savage and bombastic… and is consistently dazzling, mesmerising, and deftly defies your expectations at every twist and turn.
For your aural delectation, I would urgently recommend both “On Docetic Mountain”, the simply epic “Not Because The Fox Barks”, and the beautiful and cosseting “As Real As Rainbows”, all of which are magnificent in their own right. His remarkable album has ‘slipped out’ with little fuss, yet the roar surrounding it already marks it as one of the most spectacular releases for 2009. Unmissable!
88/100
SATANIC MUTTLEY
