VaccZine #2
The Plague Rages Podcast Newsletter
In VaccZine #1, I pointed the spotlight at Starcave Nebula, a Canadian black metal duo specializing in third-eye-prying improvisations. Outerspace Woman and Outerspace Man’s most recent demo, When the Ego Succumbs to Death..., did more than ensorcell as a standalone. Zipping through the wormhole it opened launched me into the extended Food for Dogs Productions universe, one populated with low-run tapes of local bands poised to break out, obscure reissues, and in-the-know bootlegs.
I caught up with Raven Moyer, Starcave Nebula member and Food for Dogs Productions owner, via email and got the rundown on the label, its releases, and the Victoria, British Columbia, scene.
How did Food for Dogs Productions get started?
Well, I mean I’ve always had visions of running a small DIY label — I tried it once or twice when I was a stupid teenager and didn’t know how such things operated, but now I guess I have somewhat of a handle on it. At the time I was working at a pet food store and using their photocopier incessantly behind their back to do J-cards, hence “food for dogs.” I ended up losing that job over some fuck-shit, so no shame whatsoever in saying I ripped their ink off, hah.
The tapes look awesome. Are you dubbing these yourself? Self-printing the J-cards? How have you been distributing them? I kind of envision a Weakling-esque method of handing them out and riding the word of mouth.
You hit the nail on the head. 100% self dubbed, self-printed, one at a time. It’s a definite labor of love. Distribution was hard as fuck at first but people are starting to catch on to this shit so it’s definitely making things easier! Of course I couldn’t have gone this far without my good friend Andy at CAVITY Curiosity Shop in town. That guy literally holds the scene here on his back, especially during the pandemic when shows, etc. aren’t happening. He’s always super stoked and eager when I bring tapes in.
Food for Dogs did a bootleg of the classic 1994 Strid EP. Do you feel like that's a statement of purpose for the label? In that, it's a signal to prospective bands/fans of what you're trying to accomplish?
I mean, more or less, but plain and simple Strid is one of the best BM bands to ever exist and one of my favorite bands of any genre. I guess I realized there was no cassette version of that 7”, so, heh, I basically wanted to do a super limited boot of it that I would have salivated over as a kid. It’s all just nerd shit for me, same deal with the Sovereign tape. Fulgor was a little different because at the time that discography hadn’t been reissued and I thought that was a fucking crime.
Also, Strid reformed in 2019?! Weird! Thoughts?
Yeah, trippy right? I’d been following the updates ever since Prophecy Productions announced something about a new album in, like, 2016? And then nothing, nothing, nothing…for years. I’d figured they were dead in the dirt for good until I found a live video of them playing a brand new song in Estonia. It’s almost 13 minutes long and nothing about their core sound has changed, really. It’s beautiful.
What's the background on Mindbleeder and Mandragora? I feel like, in a short amount of time, Mindbleeder has evolved considerably.
Mindbleeder started as a one-off in the basement of my old house when I was fucked up all the time and eventually evolved into what I’d consider my main project — through harsher sonic textures and being completely unrestrained on vocals and instruments, I find I can most effectively process my most negative thoughts and turn them into molten nightmare bullshit. The two new splits I just recorded with Tacit Annihilation and Niku Daruma are easily the most violent and depraved shit yet, and it only goes downhill from here. Keep an eye out.
Mandragora started off as the solo project of my friend Alys who is an incredibly gifted musician and a total maniac. I think she started playing guitar at 4 or something so she’s just an absolute whiz with the riffs. (Her heavy metal band Mötörwölf is ripping and OG as fuck). Eventually the lineup expanded to a full band and we cut the Might of Darkness Majesty demo as a four-piece under questionable and obscure circumstances. Due to the chaotic nature of all of our lives it sometimes takes a while for Mandragora to do new music — Alys’s arm is broken at the moment but healing up, send her good thoughts! — but look out for some new rehearsal material featuring one new song and a Mutilation cover.
So, the two releases that have really jumped out at me have been Thermokarst's demo and the new Starcave Nebula, When The Ego Succumbs To Death.... What can you tell me about these bands?
So, first of all, Thermokarst is a super sick BM band comprised of some friends of mine that have been around for quite some time. They went by Defonce at first and played a couple of shows, then snuck back into the shadows to sharpen their swords. They have a full-length album in the queue that we’re trying to release on multiple formats toward the end of this year — biting and cold, really reminds me of older Gorgoroth and maybe the best Judas Iscariot recording, Heaven in Flames. Two of the three members play in Sporus, which is a super violent punk band in the vein of GISM, highly recommended. (Alys of Mandragora also recently joined this band!)
As for Starcave Nebula, Outerspace Man and myself are best friends and have done time together in several other musical projects of varying genres. The crazy thing that occurred to both of us is that we somehow hadn’t started a black metal band together. A bizarre night of drug-fueled antics followed, the “And Tomorrow, the Stars…” demo happened, and after that we just hit the ground running. SN started in August of last year I believe and we’ve already recorded five demos, a split, and a full length, with another demo and split on the way…only half of which is released yet. The mysteries of space are an endless source of chaos and inspiration.
Particularly, what are the recording sessions like for Starcave Nebula? In the Bandcamp copy you mention RCs (any...uh...favored?) and the Encyclopaedia Metallum notes suggest these tracks are taken from improvised sessions.
Oh yeah, well, before I answer this question I’m taking another bong rip.
So, for starters, yeah, both me and Outerspace Man are chronic weed smokers, like all day every day (we often smoke like, a bag, before we even go to the rehearsal spot), then, when recording, he mostly goes for mushrooms/DXM and occasionally strong acid and such. I’m more of a mushrooms-only kinda gal. Lets face it, playing 15-minute 90% blast songs is hard enough like that…. Next time we’re gonna record a demo on mescaline. Or try. Hah.
And yes, everything is improvised, I’ve always loved how improvised compositions flow, a steady stream of ideas that occasionally confuse the listener, but never really gets boring. Obviously there are some parts that get cut because sometimes the chemicals take over and what we’re playing just turns into complete idiocy. But thus is life.
What's the scene like in your neck of Victoria?
Well, as far as black metal goes, it’s kinda dead other than a few outliers like Thermokarst, Euthanized… I don’t know if Shibboleth is a band anymore but they might still be around. There’s some other BM and cool metal stuff going on but it’s been pretty flatline for a while now, everyone else seems to have split up or lost interest. Otherwise, there’s lots of pop punk, mid-paced hardcore, summer rock; it’s a vibe but not really my cup of tea. There are a couple cool powerviolence bands here, though, like Con Artist.
I'm familiar with the powerviolence/grindier/crustier side of Victoria, mostly in the Iskra/Six Brew Bantha extended universe of bands (Altered Dead is another one that just made the jump with that new one on Memento Mori). What else has been brewing there? Is there a distinct "Victoria" sound that's recognizable to locals that hasn't yet made it out?
Hahaha, I remember all that stuff. Iskra has been dead for a while now and I’m not too sure what’s going on with Six Brew (good dudes). But yeah, way back in my teens my grind band Bungus would be on bills like that all the time. Altered Dead are also homies and I’m happy for them and their new record (see you in the beer league, Mic…).
I guess in Victoria there’s not really any general sound or vibe, but I dunno, there’s an overall feeling of laid-backness and community, everybody knows each other. The punks know who the headbangers are, the headbangers know who the noise heads are, and the noise heads know who the indie heads are, etc. There’s also a heavy queer and trans presence in the music scene here both inside and outside of the BM movement, which is very cool…and in my opinion it’s important to have people like us playing proper black metal and not half-assed gimmick shit that makes us look like a bunch of reactionary babies. (And, by the way, any super-cult, basement-dwelling nerd who didn’t know this about me, and feels “triggered” by this information, just remember that I find you amusing….) It’s also really funny having Ross Bay Cult as such a bland part of daily life; like there’s the Ross Bay Pub, the Ross Bay Drugstore, the Ross Bay Thrifty Foods.…
What are your goals with music and the label?
To put out as many slabs of ice-cold, intense black metal as humanly possible before hanging up my Vlad Tepes longsleeve and becoming a quiet librarian who writes Sapphic poetry.
What's your dream release?
Mindbleeder / Beherit 7”, although it would never happen. One can dream.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. You can find Food for Dogs Productions on Bandcamp at https://foodfordogsproductions.bandcamp.com/.
NEW ARRIVALS
SPOTLIGHT
Mötörwölf - Burnin' Daze (Esquimalt Hardcore)
The big lesson is to listen to what people recommend to you. Behold, then, the aforementioned Mötörwölf, solo project of Alys Stobbart. The sticker on the tin says “ripping and OG as fuck.” Indeed.
Burnin' Daze, Mötörwölf’s three-song debut EP, is different from its nowadays peers in that, much like its influences, it’s similarly augmented by gutter-level punk. Like, I don’t know why some modern re-trad clones have forgotten about this particular crosspollination, as if heavy metal of yore was made solely in a cleanroom. Mötörwölf’s embrace of punk and street rock makes it much closer, in sound and spirit, to the old guard.
Sonically, I’d stick Burnin' Daze in with The Murderess Metal Road Show-era Lizzy Borden, when that band was at its sweaty best. Stobbart’s list of touchstones runs a bit longer.
“Sex Machineguns have [definitely] had the biggest influence on me for the longest time,” Stobbart said to Filthy Dogs of Metal, “I think my writing has a very unique charm to it but I [definitely] take a lot of inspiration from the mighty Lizzy Borden, X, Hanoi Rocks, Chastain, Heavy Load, Loudness, Dio and also some punk bands along the lines of Amebix, GISM, and Hellbastard….”
You can hear the aggressive, sneering choppa-choppa of those latter three in “In the Name of the Law,” a classic ‘80s B-side of strutting rawk that enjoys exploring its surroundings in a very metal way. (Power Metal Metallica, even?) What’s important is that punk bite makes this stuff sound legit dangerous. Because heavy metal of this ilk has been around for 40 years, forever caught in a cycle of escalating heavy metalosity and recalibrated hall-defined purity, a band has to do a lot to elicit that kind of OG feel. Mötörwölf does it by being punk as fuck. It also rips.
HIGHLIGHTS
Anal Stabwound - The Visceral Sovereign (Inherited Suffering Records)
Reader, here’s your litmus test. Keep in mind, I’m writing this newsletter. Slammy goo music is my thing. If you don’t wanna wallow, begone. Anyway, the real lede is that Nikhil Talwalkar, the brains behind this butt stabbing, is 16. That pain you feel is your lower back exploding into dust. Because I’m a sadist, let me twist the knife. I wrote this in my 2021 RYM list: “Talwalkar was born two days before Immolation released Harnessing Ruin.” Dear god. Still, despite the limited time on earth, Talwalkar is a pro. Anal Stabwound feels great. [*re-reads, shakes head*] Not only does Nikhil have the ample chops, which you can see on the YouTubes, but a real sense of ideal BDM flow. Even the longer songs that reach Vital Remains lengths never flag.
Blood Sport - Steel System / Agitator (self-released)
I’m assuming this Finnish throwback is named after Avenger, the speedy NWOBHM band that counts Blitzkrieg, Satan, Atomkraft, etc. among its exes. That’s pretty much what you get here, though this is a little faster and nastier. If you have to pick one, this second single is it, upgrading the production values by turning up the bass. I think there’s a natural inclination to place Blood Sport alongside Mystik, the criminally overlooked Swedish speedster, but this is a different sort of beast, mainly because it doesn’t really care for frills. Speed. Heavy metal. You’re welcome.
Divide and Dissolve - Gas Lit (Invada Records)
The thing that really sells Divide and Dissolve, the Australian duo that plays experimental droning doom, is the guitar tone. The crush is legit, exhibiting a Plotkinesque gravitational pull. New album Gas Lit is again mostly instrumental with a spoken word part by Minori Sanchiz-Fung providing the only bit of vocals. Oh, but this band has a voice. The way the sax swirls around “Oblique” is super neat, reminding me of when Kayo Dot still had metal energy. I’d love a split between this band and Insect Ark, Dana Schechter’s similarly for-these-miserable-times doomer.
Fed Ash - Diurnal Traumas (Astralands/Orb Tapes/Solium Records)
Syracuse noisemakers Fed Ash once again prove that grind and noise make a perfect pair. The noise is the kind of stuff that No Faith does, miniature HNW blowouts. But the grind is something else. Bleak, blackened, and brutal, much more Vermin Womb than you’re expecting. Smokes.
Handsome Prick - Plastic Baby Living Facility (self-released)
Like Brad Vanderzee’s other bands, not many people are going to get Handsome Prick. Those that do will really get it. This trio’s third LP is like if Anomalies-era Cephalic Carnage took a spin through the more core side of ‘00s Relapse and tossed in the Assault compilations for good measure. If you remember surfing through YSIs for brutal music in 2005, this’ll tickle something on you. If you bought the new Contrastic, buy this, too.
Intonate - Severed Within (Willowtip Records)
Formally, holy shit, DEATHLEHEM. Wow. Should’ve kept that name. Intonate is fitting, though I should note that Intonate does not, in fact, feature Steve Tucker. This band’s second album could’ve fooled me, since it revels in that huge, heaving, Tuckerian chug. It does a lot more, of course. Bit of black. Bit of doom. Lot of death. The atmosphere is rich with glorious ugliness (clouds of bass twiddles!). But anytime these four give into the leaden stride, it’s good.
Ishtembashtok - Basszon agyon a kénköves istennyila!!! (Levertraan)
Not metal in the least, unless you count the brief blackgaze guitars on “Istennyila.” So, this is one of those “piss off, it’s my newsletter” deals. I’m going to count the brief blackgaze guitars on “Istennyila” in order to get you to listen to this delightfully weird knife hit of meditative krautrock. According to Discogs, this is “pure Sylvester Anfang II worship.” Sure. It’s one of the coolest things I’ve listened to since Anadol.
Monochromatic Residua - Repurposed Behemoth (self-released)
Monochromatic Residua, the side-dealio of Night Vapor/Autoreplicant guitarist Aaron Myers-Brooks, now has a real drummer. The hook here is that Myers-Brooks shreds a custom 17-tone guitar. Monochromatic Residua, then, sounds like Dim Mak warped into Jute Gyte. There’s room for growth. This isn’t as nuts as it could be despite its Jarzombek-with-a-ruptured-eardrum flurries. But, it’s mega promising. Note: The B-side that fronts like it’s backwards isn’t actually backwards. I tested it in Audacity like a scientist. I appreciate the commitment to the bit.
Nyctophagia - Silent Planet (self-released)
The thing setting Nyctophagia’s members apart from a lot of goregrind is that they can play. This isn’t straight slop. In fact, I’d probably put them on the same tier as Roskopp, the pitchshifted hellions who loved pure punk hooks. To wit, there are riffs. Unlike Roskopp, Nyctophagia has recorded music since 2012. And it has grown a lot since last year’s Nemesis of the Pulpit put that iteration of the band to rest. Blasts are tighter, grooves are groovier.
RAD / Cross Class - Split (Sacramento Records)
Not metal, but I wanted to get RAD in here one last time since this is, in fact, the last time. Recorded in August 2016, Sacramento’s finest fastcore band’s last will and testament runs eight minutes and showcases why the quartet was a blast. Drummer Craig is now in Cross Class. Lory has since jumped to Sick Burn, which is the best version of Circle Jerks since Group Sex.
Trace Amount - “Concrete Catacomb” (self-released)
Industrial, a thing I know very little about. Backed into a corner, I guess I’d say “Coil” over and over again until you covered me in latex and left me alone. This is neat, though? To my uncultured ears, it reminds me of something Justin Broadrick and Kevin Martin might’ve cooked up. The hard cuts of distortion have more swing and bounce than I’d expect. And then my boys in Body Stuff show up and get weird.
Wombripper - Macabre Melodies (Memento Mori)
This Russian trio, which includes the bassist from 7 H.Target(!), has never heard a Dismember riff it didn’t like. Thankfully, there’s never been a Dismember riff it can’t crush. One of the few nowadays Swedeath bands you need to pay attention to. A lot of HM-2 pretenders should listen to this and stop.
Want to keep up with what I think is good this year? Follow my lists on RateYourMusic: 2020, 2021.
THE LISTICLE
Tying this in with our upcoming podcast which features an interview with a dating coach. No, really. Five potential names for metal dating websites.
5. One So Vile
4. Swipe O Negative
3. Zoom of the Mutilated
2. Dateways to Annihilation
1. Souls to Deny
Seriously, Suffocation’s entire discography works without puns. Why mess with the obvious.
FROM THE VAULTS
Scattered Remnants - Inherent Perversion
Take my paw and leap back to 1995, 10 years before Nikhil Talwalkar was born. Following a 1994 demo, Leominster, Massachusetts’s Scattered Remnants unleashed its EP debut, self-releasing it on the band’s own…lemme check my notes here…Vaginal Vomit Productions. Put that in your LinkedIn.
Inherent Perversion oozed into the world in September, a few months after Suffocation’s Pierced From Within and a month before Internal Bleeding’s Voracious Contempt. As such, it presents an early path that brutal death metal could’ve taken but ultimately didn’t.
Still, it’s not like this is alien. There’s a pronounced Cannibal Corpse vibe to the more-thudding riffs, because of course there is. (Not to mention the lyrics are like if Barnes drank a pot of coffee and tried writing some grimdark sex n’ gore for Incantation. A favorite: “Sadistic perversions performed by ritual/ Copulation with quadrupeds.”) “Amidst The Afterbirth,” in particular, has a primo trudge section that gives way to a thrashy speed part that then ducks into a near-slam. Good stuff.
Of course, Inherent Perversion will probably sound dusty to kids since this is pretty dry, eschewing the type of BDM adornments that would come later. Like, I don’t think 20 Buck Spin would come calling if you submitted this as a demo. It’s just not the OSDM that ultimately left a mark. But, to me? Rules. It has the kind of figuring-it-out gusto that I appreciate, covering up the shakier moments with young-buck energy.
These Massholes would eventually squeeze out an LP, 1998’s Destined to Fail, which has future Shadows Fall/Unearth duder Derek Kerswill on drums. (It also tries to experiment in a Morbid-Angel-is-doing-it-so-why-can’t-we way that…hasn’t aged great. Beware the opera vox.) Scattered Remnants reconstituted for a second time in 2018. Judging by the fact that it has its tendrils in most of the socials, I’m guessing the quintet has stayed together.
BUT I GOT ONE THING LEFT TO SAY
The podcast is real. It exists. I feel like my face is going to melt like I’m holding the wrong grail in Last Crusade. There’s going to be a spacesaver heading out to podcatchers this week that will also show up in this feed, if it hasn’t already. We’ve been doing demo pods since September, so it will be nice to get Episode #1 out in the wild.
Our podcast theme was done by Fiverr’s patrickstateman. It sounds like the best thing Obituary has done in forever.
We also already have a spinoff podcast that will invade the feed every now and then. More about that in a bit.
Still don’t have a set schedule for the newsletter. Things get a little hairy at the end of every month thanks to various column obligations and day-job junk. I’m working it out. That’s to say you might not see another one of these until March.
If you like any of this junk, please share it. I’m trying to be, like, ambitious for once in my life. Yes, I am the idiot that launched a podcast and newsletter without social media.
Got a question? Email us! plagueragespod at gmail
Our logo and branding is done by Mike Teal. Find him at www.storylightmarketing.com and www.miketealdesign.com
Like what we’re doing? Drop us a donation on Ko-fi