IIVII

IIVII - Live at Desertfest - Belgium

“IIVII is an outlet for Josh Graham, a visual artist and multi-instrumentalist who creates cinematic soundscapes with elements of electronica, ambient and drone. 2017’s Invasion was widely acclaimed (not least by my fellow writers here at Echoes and Dust) and conjured a sci-fi vibe with its 80s electro combined with futuristic synth sounds that were partly reminiscent of Vangelis. New outing Obsidian is a very different beast, being far darker in its sound. Obsidian is a black glass formed from the intense heat of a volcanic eruption. It is timeless, dark and beautiful.” ECHOES AND DUST

Focusing on enigmatic cinematic atmospheres, IIVII (ivy / eve) is an experimental post apocalyptic visual/music collective, headed by Josh Graham with Billy Graves and Gregory Simons on percussion.

Contributors:

Dana Schechter – Slide Guitar
Sarah Pendleton – Violin
Jo Quail – Cello
Kim Thayil – Guitar
Ben Weinman – Guitar
Billy Graves – Drums
Shane Ocell – Drums
Mathilde Smessaert – vocals
Dalina Ugarte – violin
Loukia Loulaki – cello
Rubén Sánchez – double bass

Guiltless

A new voice steps forward to put our concerns and frustrations into words; that voice is GUILTLESS. Embodied by Billy Graves (Generation Of Vipers) on drums, Dan Hawkins (A Storm Of Light) on guitar and noise, Sacha Dunable (Intronaut) on bass, and Josh Graham (A Storm Of Light, Battle Of Mice, Neurosis’ former visual artist) on guitar, vocals, and noise, the band was born from a love of experimental rock, noise rock, early industrial, sludge, and doom.

GUILTLESS creates apocalyptic soundscapes in their imaginings of the surreal return to proto-human society, as well as what life might be like for the survivors of the next mass extinction event on Thorns. Human singularity, a third world war, scorching deserts, rising seas – it’s all coming for us. We’re all guiltless. We’re all blameless. Through this cycle of destruction and rebirth, GUILTLESS believes that art and music can give us solace or help us exercise our demons.

A Storm of Light

A Storm of Light - Live in Moscow

“If you want to invoke the apocalypse, it helps to read the runes first. A Storm Of Light, like Killing Joke, Anaal Nathrakh and Ministry, always sound as if they’re accelerating towards some all-encompassing moment of reckoning, but their fuel is an endless tank of genuine disgust, frustration and a keen eye on the belligerent shitshow unfolding all around us – a perspective that becomes a vividly psychedelic experience.” – Metal Hammer

A Storm of Light was founded by vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Josh Graham — a former member of the respected post-rock outfit, Red Sparowes, co-founder and song writer in the acclaimed Battle Of Mice, longtime visual artist in residence with the legendary Neurosis, and creative director for the almighty Soundgarden. The band’s consistently changing lineup is currently completed by Domenic Seita on bass, and Dan Hawkins on guitar. Guest musicians have included Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, Jarboe, Nerissa Campbell, Carla Kihlstedt of The Book Of Knots, Lydia Lunch and more.

Battle of Mice

It is both impossible and inappropriate to separate A Day Of Nights from the narrative out of which it was created. Not only is the fluctuating personal relationship of Red Sparowes’ Josh Graham and Made Out Of Babies’ Julie Christmas part and parcel to understanding the gripping and emotional content in the music, but it’s also the catalyst for it in the first place.

Mathematically speaking, then, the entire Battle Of Mice concept should be a clusterfuck of epic proportions, but instead, it is easily the best ambient metal release of the year, pushing aside releases from both Graham and Christmas’ main outfits. An excellent example for the old rock cliché that very often contempt breeds brilliance, the coming together of these two musical forces is like the meeting of the cold and warm fronts that trigger a devastating thunderstorm, with bolts of lightning that look like tree trunks in hell. The music is powerful, the vocals pristine, effective and heart-wrenching.

And to top it off, (to stick with the simile) providing the thunder behind that lightning is the team of bassist Tony Maimone (The Book Of Knots) and drummer Joel Hamilton (Players Club, also Book Of Knots), with Hamilton also serving as producer. They add a thickness and presence to the overall sound of the band without which it would be rendered emaciated.

This album is one of those rare flashes of greatness that comes along once in an almost never, stings you like a slap in the face, and is gone. Like the drunk’s moment of clarity. If you’re not left with red finger marks on your face by the end of it, you might want to rethink your musical taste.

 

Red Sparowes

 

Red Sparowes – “epic without bombast, heavy without a single barre-chord riff and eviscerating without any clearly audible vocals. The chiming, spindly layers of effect-laden guitars and the swinging, entrancing drums on its Neurot Recordings debut At the Soundless Dawn create textures reminiscent of Goblin, Tones on Tail, Godspeed You Black Emperor and early Sonic Youth. Its attack is syrupy and serpentine; subtle but frighteningly deliberate.”

Red Sparowes play a form of intensified, experimental post-rock with a notable use of pedal steel guitar. The Los Angeles act formed in 2003 and features current and former members of other bands: guitarist Bryant Clifford Meyer (Isis), guitarist Josh Graham (visuals for Neurosis), bassist Greg Burns (Halifax Pier), bassist/guitarist Andy Arahood (Angel Hair), and drummer David Clifford (Pleasure Forever). After recording demos for their debut album, they toured with the Dillinger Escape Plan and Made Out of Babies. Following the departure of original bassist/guitarist Jeff Caxide (Isis) and drummer Dana Berkowitz in late 2004, At the Soundless Dawn was issued in February 2005 through Neurot, home to Neurosis. Red Sparowes toured Europe in spring 2005 and the U.S. later that year with Pelican, Big Business, and Breather Resist. The next album, Every Red Heart Shines Toward the Red Sun, was released in September 2006.  Graham departed in 2008 to pursue the above.