Atrabilis Sunrise - PillgrimageAtrabilis Sunrise is the project of Padre P.C., owner of the P.C.M. label, who used to record as Catharsis. Pillgrimage is old school death-industrial. It is the sound of subdued electronics, spartan death beats riddled with voice samples of Christian fundamentalists, religious perverts, murderers and such like. This version of Pillgrimage, released on the Ant-Zen side label, Raubbau, is an expanded reworking of the tape issued last year by P.C.M.Pillgrimage concerns religious cults and altered states, with music that is heavy and penetrating. 'Clean, Holy, Beautiful' is gritty electronics, whirring noise, serated frequencies and leaden death beats that culminates in a mass of piercing noise. 'Hungry For Light' batters away with pummelling drums and subdued electronic noise laden with voice samples. Likewise 'A Whole In The Mirror' is awash with voices added to the ringing tones, and blackened industrial hum. There's a distinct threatening edge to 'Two Skulls' in its controlled use of frequencies and pulse-like beating rhythms, while 'Colonia' is reduced to generator hum and spartan death beats. And while Atrabilis Sunrise show restraint in these tracks, 'Suffer Genesis Children' is unrelenting power noise laced with frequency screech and rabid vocalisations that carry more than a nod to the power electronics of Sutcliffe Jugend and Ramleh. Some of it is quite inventive. The hammering rhythmic beat of 'Self-Trepan' is aligned with corrosive noise textures, constantly collapsing back into itself as it works its way through your skull. As it progresses the noise becomes increasingly harsh and the frequencies more prominent. It's not all old school there are clicks and glitches to be found amongst the dirty electronics of 'Glorify God In The Dance'. Some of Pillgrimage reminds me of Schloss Tegal and Brighter Death Now but other tracks are far more experimental and some are more atmospheric. It's a varied release that does achieve a sense of continuity but the themes of religion and psychedelics do become lost somewhat. Keep an ear out for the bizarre secret track of French acoustic-pop appended to the end. Pillgrimage is the sort of thing that used to appear on cassette with badly photocopied Xeroxed sleeves. If you pine for atmospheric noise electronics and tasteless industrial of yore then this might be your thing. For more information go to www.raubbau.org |