Various Artists (Cold Meat Industry) -- The Absolute Supper

Home Released 1998 Label Cold Meat Industry Reviewed by Michael C. Lund Contact Cold Meat Industry PO Box 1881 581 17 Linköping Sweden Visit Last Edit/Update 08 juli, 1998	Various Artists (Cold Meat Industry) THE ABSOLUTE SUPPER Track Listing Disc A 1. In Slaughter Natives -- INRI... raped by the Cross. 2. The Protagonist -- Imitation 3. The Protagonist -- Zoroaster 4. Ordo Equilibrio -- The perplexity of hybris. I glorify myself. 5. Sanctum -- { - } 6. Puissance -- Love incinerate 7. Arcana -- Winds of the lost soul 8. Mortiis -- Child of curiosity & the old man of knowledge. 9. Desiderii Marginis -- Chaos undivided 10. Sephiroth -- R'lych 11. Raison D'Étre -- The verge of somnolence. 12. Hazard -- Who blew out the Northern lights? Disc B 1. Brighter Death Now -- I wish I was a little girl 2. Frozen Faces -- Zyklon B Doll 3. MZ.412 -- N.B.S. act 1 - begraving 4. Megaptera -- Don't desecrate the dead 5. Deutsch Nepal -- logo 6. Nacht -- Svartsinn 7. Archon Satani -- A time of ruin 8. Ildfrost -- Hearts perturbe 9. Ildfrost -- Slept Awake 10. Cintecele Diavolui -- The Devil must kill.
	It is the confirmed practice of the Swedish label Cold Meat Industry that every tenth release be a compilation, and for this -- their 50th release and 10 year anniversary -- they have outdone themselves with a very exclusively packaged double-CD set. Presented in a black gatefold digi-pack, with a CD and a booklet in each side of the sleeve, the set features all new material from every band currently involved with the label, from the hardened acts that have been along from the very beginning -- In Slaughter Natives, Brighter Death Now, MZ.412 and Deutsch Nepal, to the very latest signings -- The Protagonist and Desiderii Marginis. One booklet features a short introduction to each band and artist featured on The Absolute Supper, while the other chronicles the history of Cold Meat Industry. In general, the artists signed on Cold Meat Industry are all either from Sweden, or in a few instances from other Scandinavian countries. The musical output of the label is fittingly dark, often obsessed with the occult and/or "politically incorrect," and almost always of a highly unique and individual character. The sounds of the individual artists range from classical and folk to dark experimental and "industrial" music. On this compilation, the sequence of tracks seems to have been arranged so that the first CD features more of the label's folk and classically oriented musicians, while the second CD plunges into the realm of electronic or industrial "death" music. Since Last Sigh has not previously brought any reviews of Cold Meat Industry's releases, and since there is not a single superfluous or mediocre track on this set, the following review will focus on each band and track in some detail.
	The first CD appropriately opens with one of the very first bands to appear on Cold Meat Industry back in 1989 -- In Slaughter Natives. For almost nine minutes, the grand dramatic onslaught of "INRI... Raped by the Cross" marches on. The deep Northern chanting of a male voice, kettle drums and heavy clouds of thematic atmospheres are the elements from which this apocalyptic anthem is constructed. And, at the end -- the cross carried to the top of the hill -- the piece enters an almost theatrical phase -- with the frantic ticking of a clock, a weeping woman, and chaotic brass tones combining to depict the very moments before the crucifixion. In Slaughter Natives is currently working on a new album, but the artist has been known to take his time with such matters, and no release date is as yet confirmed.
	The Protagonist -- one of the latest additions to Cold Meat Industry's roster of artists -- follows with two tracks. As with In Slaughter Natives, the music of The Protagonist is likewise classically inspired, and very charged with suspense. Centered around a brief vocal statement, in which the speaker challenges the authority of God, "Imitation" slowly builds with deep steady drums, a brassy theme and shimmering strings, to an almost fanatic finale that ends with the distant rumblings of a thunder storm breaking. "Zoroaster" features even more intense swirling waves of brass and strings, underscored by heavy tribal beats, borne on the wings of themes that speak of greatness and possibility. The first album by The Protagonist has already been recorded, and is awaiting release by Cold Meat Industry around September this year. A later EP release will feature a remix of "Zoroaster" by none other than In The Nursery. Meanwhile, The Protagonist can be experienced live at this year's Night Of The Abyss festival in Waregem, Belgium (24-25, July).
	Another band that is scheduled to appear at the festival in Waregem, and who is presently working on their third album, is Ordo Equilibrio. The track with which they are represented here is one of the prettiest on The Absolute Supper -- a very moody folk-inspired song, relying on a simple acoustic guitar theme, underscored by wind chimes, distant harmonic presences, a crystalline synth theme, and the tolling of bells. The male part of Ordo Equilibrio (Cancer) sings of the nature of "hybris" in a nicely introspective, yet understated voice, and is joined on the chorus parts by his female counterpart (Capricorn), repeating -- with great resolve -- the theme of the song: "I glorify myself, I glorify myself for who I am."
	With Sanctum the CD once more enters orchestral territory, although here the classical is only the point of departure, from which the band leaps into a more modern and dance-oriented mode of musical expression. Heavy, treated guitar riffs and coursing synth melodics serve as the accompaniment for the caressing female vocals that stand firmly at the center of this song. Sanctum has recently released a 10" vinyl EP, and they too will be present in Waregem.
	Also a recent addition to Cold Meat Industry, Puissance has already released a pair of CDs on the label. The title of this song -- "Love Incinerate" -- says much about the guiding sentiments behind this doomsday preaching duo. Passages of grand, dramatic music of a symphonic nature alternate with brief spoken passages declaring the impending end of the world. The fiery musical inferno conjured up by Puissance stands in sharp contrast to the
	overpowering beauty of the next band presented on the compilation -- Arcana. The landscape painted by this duo is one of medieval times and natural splendor. Peter Petterson leads with lyrics sung in a deep harmonic voice, while Ida Bengtsson creates a silken vocal backdrop with her chanting. The musical side of Arcana consists of large thematic string structures and a heartbeat of bass drums, with the warm sound of bells and the tinkling rings of a triangle adding texture. Arcana is also a relatively new name on the label, but have already released two full-length CDs and a single, and is presently at work on new recordings, which may eventually result in a double-album. However, while waiting for this release to appear, Arcana can be experienced at the Nights Of The Abyss festival as well.
	Next is Mortiis, who is without doubt the strangest and most eccentric artist on Cold Meat Industry, not least of all because of the ghoulish persona he has cultivated to perfection. "Child Of Curiosity & The Old Man Of Knowledge" is simultaneously humorous and musically playful, but also -- almost in spite of itself -- a quite compelling and pretty song. Mortiis' sound is also in the classical vein with a medieval spin; very large and dramatic, with theatrical elements. It will surely be interesting to see this bizarre character perform his music live in Waregem, where he too is scheduled to play. In addition to having recently had a side-project (Cintecele Diavolui) released, Mortiis is also presently at work on an album entitled "Stargate." Another side-project Vond was made available not too long ago by the American label Cybertzara, and Mortiis is furthermore shopping for a publisher to put out a book of his.
	Desiderii Marginis' debut CD Songs Over Ruins is one of the very latest releases on Cold Meat Industry, and the piece featured here -- "Chaos Undivided" -- is perhaps best described as dark atmospherica. Hovering, foreboding harmonies, radio tunings, and intermittent crashing impacts are the aural threads in this musical tapestry. In a somewhat similar vein -- but painted on an even greater canvas -- is "R'lych" by Sephiroth, whose first CD is still in the works. Taking its departure in an environment of dark ominous ambiance, "R'lych" breaks out into a sequence of explosive tribal percussions, and arrives in an arcane world of subtle chimes, bells and voices speaking in exotic tongues.
	Raison D'étre is of course one of the masters of the form that both Desiderii Marginis and Sephiroth aspire towards, and "The Verge Of Somnolence" is a wonderful example of this lone Swede's (Peter Andersson) musical imagination. Celestial choral arrangements; whispering, liquid sound effects; slow, ringing string chords; and lingering sheets of sheer sonic presence establish a sensation of being in the surreal borderland between sleep and wakefulness. A CD edition of some of Raison D'étre's early recordings has recently been released by the Australian label Bloodless Creation, and Peter Andersson is presently at work on a new side project (Bochsholm) with Lina Baby Doll of Deutsch Nepal.
	The first CD of the set closes with "Who Blew Out The Northern Lights?" by Hazard -- the new project of another of Cold Meat Industry's longest standing artists, Benny Nielsen of Morthound fame. Hazard has produced one CD so far -- for the American label Malignant -- and is presently working on the second, which will be released on Cold Spring. Meanwhile, reports will have it that Benny Nielsen -- like Peter Andersson -- is at work on a project with Lina of Deutsch Nepal, and to top things off, Hazard will complete the line-up at this year's Nights Of The Abyss festival. "Who Blew Out The Northern Lights?" expands on the spirit of the past three or four tracks, and is nothing short of a brilliant piece of dark, soundtrack-oriented music, with menacing background drones; screaming siren-like emissions; brief, treated, metallic stutterings; and, looped, manipulated sound effects that grind on perpetually in the distance, like some ancient engine keeping the very universe turning.
	Brighter Death Now -- the musical incarnation of Roger Karmanik, the father of Cold Meat Industry himself -- opens the second disc with "I wish I was a little girl." Brutal, throbbing, distorted torrents of noisy electronics, pierced by Karmanik's coarse, desperately repetitive screams: "I wish I was a little girl...I could be raped...I could be mutilated...I could be murdered." There is no artist more extreme or uncompromising -- in vocal or musical expression -- presently creating music, than Karmanik and his Brighter Death Now. The ten year anniversary of the label is of course also the ten year anniversary of Brighter Death Now, and a number of reissues on CD of older releases, as well as a compilation of tracks from the Great Death trilogy, has recently and/or will soon see the light of day.
	Next up is Frozen Faces, which is a harsher side-project of Deutsch Nepal's Lina Baby Doll. In the vein of Deutsch Nepal, the musical foundation of this project is a thick carpet of layered samples and loops -- here of a noisy, pulsating variety, with Lina delivering some strongly treated vocals in the midst of all the mayhem.
	MZ.412 is again one of Cold Meat Industry's stable acts, and in the spirit of the past two tracks, "N.R.S. act 1 - begraving" is likewise an ultra dark performance. A slow, consistent march of metal pistons moves this track forward over steady waves of coursing electronics, and dense string themes. The only vocal element is a sampled voice repeating incessantly: "Wenn Weiss die Farbe des Totes ist, dann ist Schwarz die Farbe des Lebens..."
	Although other artists on the label have collaborated with Megaptera over the years, none of this band's releases have ever appeared on Cold Meat Industry. However, the droning atmospheres; mechanic metal beats; and satanic film samples of "Don't Desecrate The Dead," are right at home in this context.
	No Cold Meat Industry compilation would of course be complete without a track from Deutsch Nepal. Running a total of almost ten minutes, "logo" is a typical example of the long, slowly developing atmospherical soundscapes that Lina Baby Doll masters to perfection. Beginning with nothing more than distant, shimmering synth waves and a looped female voice, "logo" constantly mutates. More and more layers of beats and manipulated harmonics are gradually added, until the piece reaches a deafening saturation level, where the definition of the individual elements almost disappear. A new CD should come out on Staalplaat in the near future, and Lina is -- as mentioned above -- involved in projects with both Raison D'étre and Hazard.
	With Nacht the CD once more enters a different musical landscape, although the sound remains dark and foreboding. Nacht is one of the few artists on this compilation, who has chosen to perform her icy melancholy vocals in her native Norwegian tongue. "Svartsinn" is a minimal, but very moody composition, pitting Nacht's despairing voice against a backdrop of slow, floating atmospheres of a windy character, and subtle percussions that echo as if performed inside a prehistoric cavern. Nacht is presently working on a full-length album, and has previously appeared on Cold Meat Industry together with Hagalaz' Runedance as Aghast. The long dissolved duo Archon Satani follows, with a piece composed especially for The Absolute Supper. The duo's final release came out a couple of years ago on the British Cold Spring label, and the two members have since pursued separate musical paths as Inanna and Ordo Equilibrio. Heavy drum rolls, subtle bells, howling winds, snares and vocals spoken like some quasi-religious premonition; these are the dramatic and disconcerting elements of "A Time For Rain." Another very powerful and atmospheric piece from the darker end of the Cold Meat spectrum, and a nice touch to resurrect Archon Satani for this supper.
	The relatively new addition to the label -- Ildfrost -- is represented with two selections that are quite different from each other. The first -- "Hearts Perturbe" -- is a collage of orchestral and choral ambiance, interspersed with various media samples, electronic rays of sound, telephonic signals and layers of radio interference. The short second piece -- "Slept Awake" -- is a curious affair that most of all sounds like a sunny day at the beach, combining sequenced synth percussions of exotic flavor with feel-good female vocal exercises. Ildfrost recently released his second album Nathanael on Cold Meat Industry, and a follow-up mini-CD will soon be out.
	The Absolute Supper ends with another strange song; this one delivered by Mortiis' side-project Cintecele Diavolui, whose first album is one of the very latest releases on Cold Meat. Over a musical accompaniment of electronic organ and harpsichord themes, Mortiis -- or, Vukodlak as he goes by in this context -- tells of the thrills and tribulations of vampirism. Samples from an old vampire flick appear at one point, shedding some light on the nature of the undead, and in general this piece oozes with camp atmosphere, and nicely brings the compilation to a close with a hearty laugh. What more could one possibly say about this monumental release? Except.....Do not miss this one!