VaccZine #4
Monochromatic Residua, Best of Q1, Mainliner
Monochromatic Residua, a newly expanded technical death metal trio out of Pittsburgh, does things a little differently. For one, Aaron Myers-Brooks plays a 17-tone guitar, squeezing a few drops of delightful tartness over his complex riffs. Drummer Stephen Klunk has a fluid style that kicks and prods things along while nailing the demands of the mathier time signatures that fit together like a Car Bomb brain buster of a puzzle (thankfully without the hideous cleans). And, of course, there’s the other thing that sets Monochromatic Residua apart from a lot of nowadays tech death: Its newest release is decidedly ‘90s in its death metal approach.
The six-track Eternal Mountain has built upon the promise of “Repurposed Behemoth,” the single that reintroduced Monochromatic Residua to the metal world back in February. (A self-titled debut released in 2018 was a widdlier affair, more Crom-Tech than Cryptopsy.) When Eternal Mountain starts to blast, you can feel that the band is just absolutely going for it in a pleasingly old school way. Indeed, “Realm of Lava” has the snarling meanness of the chonkier set of east coast death metal bands that flattened thrashers once the ‘80s ticked over to the ‘90s. I mean, it sure doesn’t hurt that vocalist Albert C. Hall’s growl has graduated from Frank Mullen University. But, down to the band’s rhythmic interplay, there’s a grimy, gritty, death metal classicalism playing out. Here’s the thing, though: That classicalism actually incorporates two different ‘90s death metal paths. There’s the inchoate tech death and then there’s the fusion-y prog.
It’s a neat effect. Eternal Mountain is like something you’d find stuck between the final two Embrionic Death demos. Jarzombek-begotten licks abound, stuffed into the Suffo stomps and Immo lurches. Those runs inject a playfulness missing from more orthodox OSDM. And both Myers-Brooks and Klunk have a ton of fun with their respective instruments. You can sense the big smiles as they push the limits of their abilities. For them, it’s not only the fun of writing sweet riffs, but the sheer pleasure of being able to bash those riffs out.
Ah, but who are the bashers? I reached out to Myers-Brooks via email and asked him about Monochromatic Residua, his solo work, and how he acquired such a diverse set of musical of influences.
Let’s talk about Monochromatic Residua’s new EP, Eternal Mountain. These six songs both feel in line with your past material while also exploring new terrains. Like, the acidic tinge of the 17-tone guitar shred is still there, but the songs feel newly fleshed out with a wider array of riffs and rhythms. Sound- and influence-wise, what were you aiming for on this set of songs?
I don't want to speak too much for Stephen and Albert, but with my guitar parts, I was going for a slightly more traditional death metal sound. The quirky rhythms and dissonances are still there, but I've been listening to a lot of Immolation lately and wanted to capture that more direct approach to song-structures and to having riffs that hit on an immediate level. I'm also a huge Krallice fan, and I think their move towards death metal in some of their recent songs also helped pull me more into that space.
Walk me through your writing process on a song like “Realm of Lava.” Are you starting with riffs? A vibe?
Definitely with the riffs. I'm very kinesthetically oriented when it comes to writing metal, meaning that I tend to write riffs that I enjoy playing on a physical level. With this album I was essentially writing and recording the guitars at the same time, so that immediate feedback was really helpful. I will sometimes add or subtract notes to make the rhythm more interesting, which I think you hear prominently in the first breakdown in the song. Then there are other bits where I wanted it to have a real “first track of a ‘90s death metal record” sound, as with the opening riff. The little triplet lead-guitar fills in the last section hint at the more unusual possibilities of the microtonal guitar, while being anchored in a heavy chug part.
You’ve added Albert C. Hall on vocals and Stephen Klunk on drums. What have they brought to Monochromatic Residua?
Stephen is active in the contemporary classical percussion world (check out his sax/drums duo Patchwork!), and is also a big metalhead. Thus he had no qualms about playing lots of quirky time signatures/polyrhythms in addition to blast beats and brutal breakdowns. Beyond that, he is very creative and came up with lots of super cool fills, variations, and changes in subdivision I wouldn't have thought of. The drum parts are 100 percent his. I only sent him recordings of my guitar parts plus my tabs when we were writing.
Me and Albert played together in metallic no-wave/avant-noise rock band Night Vapor from 2012-2019, where he had a super unique style, drawing a bit from beloved weirdos like Captain Beefheart and Michael Gerald of Killdozer. We are both big death metal fans, so he was excited to contribute vocals on the project. (he's also on two songs on the self-titled release) I think we were going for a more traditional extreme metal sound in the vocals, but I think you can hear a bit of the despondent twang of Albert's previous vox here as well, which I love. Albert also wrote the lyrics to the title track on the new EP, which is about a mountain that climbs in perpetuity.
With the expanded lineup, do you see Monochromatic Residua as more of a “band” in the show-playing sense now?
We aren't making any super concrete plans at the moment, due to the pandemic related uncertainty of the world, but I'd love to play some shows at some point! I'll need to figure out the logistics of the low end. I currently play through a 2x12 (Peavey head/Avatar cab) and 17-tone bassists are hard to come by!
What would you like Monochromatic Residua to become? Are you looking for label support?
Again, we aren't looking too far into the future, but I know we are excited about writing and recording more material! I'd love to release CDs/tapes/shirts at some point if it's financially feasible, so if any underground labels are interested, please hit us up!
How did the 17-tone guitar come about?
I was initially exposed to microtonality in undergrad, and was very much encouraged to pursue it in grad school, where one of my teachers, Mathew Rosenblum, organizes the Beyond Microtonal Music Festival in Pittsburgh. I've wanted my own microtonal guitar for a while now. I temporarily borrowed the 24-tone (aka quarter-tone) guitar you hear on the self-titled release from my friend Dave Kuzy of Microwaves. I had also known about Metatonal Music's various microtonal instruments for a while. Metatonal posted the 17-tone on Instagram (in a lovely sky blue color!) for a very reasonable price, so I decided to pull the trigger! My next-to-last in person gig pre-pandemic was performing some of my solo 17-tone guitar material at the latest iteration of said festival in February 2020. It's one of two times the instrument has been seen in public so far.
You have a pretty diverse set of interests based on your solo work and your bands. AUTOREPLICANT is in the math zone. Night Vapor is noise rock. And, along with modern classical and Mick Barr stuff, your solo work also channels a sort of ‘90s metal, avant-shred vibe in Energetic Bursts (Music for 17-Tone Guitar). What's your background? How did you come to all of this stuff?
I gained some initial music skills with piano lessons as a child, but I got really into writing music when I received a MIM Strat for my 16th birthday. I had a number of friends into various forms of rock/punk/metal and started playing in a very the Fucking Champs inspired instrumental band called Blue Destroy. I got big into Buckethead, which led me down the rabbit hole of more experimental rock/metal stuff. I actually got into the Flying Luttenbachers, and other brutal prog bands, from a video game message board, strangely enough. In college I realized being a computer programmer wasn't for me, so I switched to majoring in music, which is where I was exposed to 20th century classical. I liked connecting the dots between say Stravinsky and Dillinger Escape Plan, for example.
Is there any sound or style that you’re looking to try out next?
I think these days I'm mostly content existing in the worlds I'm already in. I am thinking about writing some sort of piece that mixes the 17-tone guitar with other melodic instruments in a chamber music context as a possible next project. I actually teach an Electronic Beat-Making/Songwriting class, so I may try my hand at mixing my guitar playing with hip-hop/IDM sounds at some point, but no promises on that one!
How would you characterize yourself as a guitar player and songwriter?
I think at this point in my life I'm pretty comfortable saying I lead a dual existence as a metal/prog guitarist/songwriter and a contemporary classical composer, with a heavy interest in various experimental approaches to music making in both categories. I think when we're younger, it's tempting to want to be able to do everything as a musician, but there's a lot of comfort with eventually finding a niche that makes you happy.
What do you look for in music?
I like to think I can find something to enjoy in most music, but I do strongly gravitate towards music with a quirky and driven sense of rhythmic energy. I love existing in that liminal space of "I can almost, but not quite, bang my head in sync with these tricky grooves!"
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. You can find Monochromatic Residua on Bandcamp at https://monochromaticresidua.bandcamp.com/.
BEST OF Q1
Rough month! So, because I haven’t had the chance to listen to much recently, I’m rolling the BEST OF Q1 into this newsletter in place of the usual NEW ARRIVALS. Here’s a quick look at what I thought was good that was released between January 1 and March 31. As always, I am hellaciously behind on listening.
TOP 5 ALBUMS
Monte Penumbra - As Blades in the Firmament
The more I listen to this, the more it grows on me. A needed refresher for the disso black metal sound. Has the atmosphere, reintroduces the concept and reinforces the importance of riffs. Also, this goes places. Once this band gets a-travelin’, the journey reminds me of the better Blut Aus Nord peregrinations.
Buried - Oculus Rot
Riffs. That’s the theme of this list, I guess. Buried more than pays off the decades of will-they/won’t-they from the now for-sure interred Pyaemia. Brutal death metal with just a hint of rock. Basically flays you alive with all of the hooks.
Krallice - Demonic Wealth
Nine albums in, Krallice still hasn’t lost its ability to surprise the hell out of me. Even in a weird/diverse discography, Demonic Wealth is something else. Kind of like if Marston’s CONTAINOR melded with his Urthshroud. But also, like something King Crimson would do on an off day? But also also, necro as heck?
StarGazer - Psychic Secretions
The kind of record Chuck Schuldiner might’ve cut if he rebooted Death with Ved Buens Ende’s stable. Just the right amount of black metal and cryptic thrash added to a progressive death frame. The bass playing is absurd. Buy direct from the band, if possible.
Carcinoma - Labascation
This one is going to be in rotation all year. I can feel it. Does the Portal/Icelandic whoosh but doesn’t forget the riffs. The vibe is otherwordly. The longer sludge tracks are some of the best post-metal-ish crawls I’ve heard in ages.
TOP 5 TRACKS
Some strays from albums that didn’t make the above list.
Theurgy - “Archetype”
Maybe a case of recency bias, but the shred on this hits just right. I love guitar heroics when they’re matched by ping.
Silvanthrone - “Lair of Magick”
Prime wizard-pissing-into-the-wind black metal with a progression that’s as hooky as they come.
Eros Rot - “Rank Form Offering”
That this band is already at this level on a demo is still hard to believe. Almost everything I look for in the spacier set of newer brutal death metal.
Alkerdeel - “Vier”
Not to continually dunk on post-metal, but those bands should take notes on how this song builds. Delivers on what Ufomammut has been promising forever.
Starcave Nebula - “When the Ego Succumbs to Death...”
Surprise.
Want to keep up with what I think is good this year? Follow my lists on RateYourMusic: 2020, 2021.
FROM THE VAULTS
Mainliner - Mellow Out
Mainliner, the Japanese psych riff pyromancers, just released Dual Myths, its second album after fret-burner Makoto Kawabata reformed the trio in 2013. I haven’t had a chance to listen to much of it, but what I’ve heard sounds good. At the very least, it’s a fitting entry into the discography, one that began with quite the blown out big bang, 1996’s Mellow Out.
The lineup for that one was something of a supergroup for acid droppers. Kawabata, of the many incarnations of Acid Mothers Temple, was joined by drummer Hajime Koizumi and bassist/vocalist/producer Asahito Nanjo, maybe best known for the “psychedelic speed freaks” High Rise — Mainliner’s name is taken from a High Rise song — and La Musica Studio. After debuting two epics in concert in 1995, the trio hit the studio for Mellow Out and produced one of the heaviest psych albums of all time. Nearly 25 years later, it’ll still wreck your speakers. I have absolutely zero reservations pitching this to you in a heavy metal newsletter.
I still remember the absolutely batshit groove of “Black Sky” assaulting my senses for the first time. I tried like crazy to attune to its seasick movement. And then, Nanjo’s lonely ghost vox came in, melting over everything. I’m assuming that is what taking a tab of LSD on an aircraft carrier must feel like. It’s still one of my favorite moments in music. And what’s crazy is that the finale, “M,” is probably the better song. That one has an absurd hook that gives way to Kawabata’s singular brand of nutso shred.
A true classic, one that has burned a path through the underground. You can tell when a band has heard this record because it leaves a lasting mark (looking at you, Comets on Fire). As soon as you hear it, it’s like, Oh, yeah, I should be doing that. Thank god Mainliner did it first.
BUT I GOT ONE THING LEFT TO SAY
Plague Rages Podcast Episode #2 is in the works. Look for it this month.
About a year ago(!), Steve Dave and I started Plague Rages in order to give us something to do during the pandemic. I think we produced some good stuff during that initial Wordpress run. Here are my favorite posts:
“This is a beginning… of the way, of the lord of the Rune…”: Diving into a quirky RPG and the band the creator paid to cut the soundtrack.
“‘Metal Queen’: A Breakdown”: A rundown on Lee Aaron’s 1984 video for “Metal Queen” and what happened after.
“Top 5 Things to Buy in the Realityfade Store”: The old Realityfade store used a bunch of incongruous template images to sell its wares. Sadly, they’ve since updated.
“The Devil Does Not Exist: Cobra and Pentagram Records”: This kicked off my fake band obsession. A quick look into two labels that would release some of the better albums in the “metalploitation” space.
“YouTube Dives #3: Ultimate Revenge Tours, ‘CATS’, ‘Baywatch’, and ‘Contagion’”: The first part is everything I could find about the two Combat Record “tour packages” that hit the VHS market in the ‘80s.
“Which Hammer”: A quickie bio on Witches Hammer and metal’s enduring fascination with the Malleus Maleficarum.
“Fun With SoundScan”: If you ever wanted to know the sales figures for some underground metal albums, this is your writeup.
“Someone Wanted to Blow Up Glen Benton”: I’ve been working on this piece for a couple years. This is the latest version. Recent YouTube comments by Deicide’s sound guy suggests that a lot of what made it in here is accurate.
I can’t overstate this: The last few weeks have been absolute ass. Thanks for hanging with me.
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