Death Pyre-Between Shadow and Substance; No Sides Records, 2025

 

One thing about communications within a digital platform that Disaster Amnesiac can confirm, at least as regards the subjective experience, is that they trigger ADHD tendencies really quickly. It's very challenging for this listener to really listen to and hear music that's being played on Bandcamp for some reason especially. Additionally, the computer which I own does has not allowed me to download Bandcamp recordings since 2020. These two personal facts are being mentioned simply because Death Pyre read a recent review of some of their music that was done at this blog. Communications occurred between the group and myself, ones that facilitated me being supplied links to more of their recent releases for consideration and appreciation. During this process, it was decided that Disaster Amnesiac would shake off those hyperactive traits, or at least try to, and listen to the Chicago/St. Louis combo's Between Shadow and Substance while sitting down quietly in front of the desktop. By no means this listener's preferred method of doing so, but it's what is to be worked with here. This review is occurring as the listening is taking place. Andalé.

International Talking-starts off with modular synth sounds and then quickly cuts to guitar feedback and strings struck action. Like electrical poles being hammered in the late of night. Soprano voices float through that darkness. Smudge-ey sonics. Echoes of electrical canyons. The occult bells attainable from  high decibal instrumental attack. Clouds of sound like giant dust storms that recently hit Phoenix (Tucson took some similar action last summer). High pitched build up swells underneath all of the already established currents within the piece's duration; they all mix in together for an ecstatic build up. Earthworks of sound, careening around the listening environment. Squige-ey electronics wrap it all up. A quick stop ends it. Death Pyre, please tour to Tucson and bring your effective gear for the show. 

Plusminus-what is that opening sound? Some kind of loop? It's joined by crackling guitar chord-like sounds and then smeared over by washes of white noise. Sampled, scrambled voice enunciation gets the cut up treatment. Minor key, Mage-ian harmonizing. Electronic bullets fired from some source, analog or digital who knows and it just fits in, anyways. High end tone dialing mix with increasing glossolalia. Feedback hits go even higher as the mind gets spun until it's out of control. Mutinies in heaven are no trifling matter. Repetitions get more pronounced and more of those knob turns get all smudged out and twisty as they ascend. Big quarter note pulses to conclude. 

Liquid Oxygen Tank-oxygen not Oxycodone! Oh wait the junkies are using Fentanyl and Tranq now, never mind. This piece must take up all of side 2 on the cassette that one can still purchase! The big feedback clouds continue and they're still enjoyable to hear. The walls of Noise that emerge in dreams. Fragmented voices again, stereo panned white noise, pealing feedback clouds again. Slight dips in the action, a regrouping before percussive wire hitting and missile command target strikes. Female voice lamentations meet up with electronic densities, establishing a zone of intriguing interaction. Emergency alert signals blend in with established maelstrom. Downed wires crackle and spark in the night. It's as if there's no one left but the recordings. Operator gone, post abandoned. Epic emotional rawness can be found here. Or perhaps clear musical calculating from the singer? It's all so effective as Industrial/Noise/Avant-Garde expression. Death Pyre do that stuff really well. 

As can be seen, Disaster Amnesiac was able to sit and patiently listen to Between Shadow and Substance. An enjoyable process to be sure, but now I must go and fidget for a while. While I do that you should scroll over to No Sides Records and buy the cassette version of this recent document from Death Pyre.