Thursday, April 14, 2016

The Residents - Hades (2009)


Related:
The Residents - Stars and Hank Forever - The American Composers Series, Vol. II (1986)
Charles Bobuck - Chuck's Ghost Music (2010)

Hades (released as a download, then re-released in CDr form as The Rivers of Hades) consists of one long, atmospheric instrumental suite divided into five tracks, and might be considered among the band's less acutely disturbing records.

Of course, given that they're responsible for some of the most disturbing music in existence, there's still plenty of room for scary-ass shit -- stuttering percussion, sickly washes of synth, high-frequency drones, trembling feedback, ominous pianos, horror-movie cellos, and dissonant, shrieking melodies.

But starting with the latter half of "Cocytus River", they seem to settle into a darkly zen-like, quasi-tribal state that wouldn't sound THAT out of place next to something like Six Organs of Admittance, Ben Reynolds, or even some of Robert Rich's more unsettling recordings.

Track listing:
1. Acheron River
2. Cocytus River
3. Lethe River
4. Styx River
5. Phlegethon River

Gaping mouths of Cerberus

You like this shit? Try these shits:
Bill Horist - Soylent Radio (1997)
CoH - Mask of Birth (2002)

3 comments:

  1. Disturbing? You bet! I can't listen to Eskimo too much because I find it too unsettling, I feel far safer with Third Reich and Roll. Thanks for this anyway...!!

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  2. god bless the residents

    ReplyDelete