Heavily influenced by Sun 0))), Earth and Khanate, Twinesuns is the collaboration between Thor Ohe (ex-Kinsai) and C. (NVRVD) with a guest appearance from Renzo (Abraham). A DIY beast of monolithic proportions, the damage that the diabolical trio can wreak with just two guitars and a Moog is truly impressive and for fans of ambient and drone this beautifully packaged and produced piece of work will be essential.
Comprising five tracks and lasting almost forty minutes there is nothing easy about the torturous feedback fest that awaits the listener. Edging into instrumental Khanate territory the blackened riffs are shrouded in darkness and truly appalling. ‘Epitome’ may set the scene with its bruising walls of noise, but it is the molten guitars of ‘to die when it’s right to die’ that really sets the teeth on edge, the rumbling, sub sonic fury produced by C.’s Baritone guitar enough to unhinge the mind draw the demons clawing and screaming from the recesses of the mind. Make no mistake, this primal fury is as brutal as the elements, as uncaring as nature in all its red clawed glory and as amoral as the dance between predator and prey. The riffs howl and squeal, the amplifiers buzz as if the cones are dissolving and somewhere, in the heart of it all, a Moog synthesiser wonders what the hell it has gotten itself in to. It will make you feel vaguely nauseous, the riffs, played at any volume (as such music must be) tear through the body, tear through the soul, and wash over everything leaving it in a blackness so total it is impenetrable by even the strongest light. It is music that feeds the imagination and scars dreams and it is not for the weak or nervous. Continuing in the Nietzschean vein, ‘subsonic prophets’ veers between virulent squalls of potent feedback and a monstrous riff that sounds like Satan himself roaming the earth , trailing fire and sulphur in his wake as he casts every living soul into an infernal abyss. At seven minutes, it is a gruelling ride and the subsequent track, the haunting ‘Like my father before me I choose eternal sleep’, helps to soothe the fevered brow, even if it’s echoing guitars sound like the soundtrack to a seventies horror movie, the subtle ripples of sound sending shivers up the spine even as the central riff steadfastly refuses to explode into the expected violence until some three minutes in. Final track ‘Die Drei Gesichter der furcht’, is a softly menacing piece of work that builds over seven minutes, all scratchy effects, slithery sounds and echoing noise. It is all the more threatening for its quietly contemplative sense of evil and it will leave you feeling deeply disturbed, not least when it breaks into what feels like a slow motion rendering of ‘Black Sabbath’ towards its conclusion thus firmly cementing once and for all the link between this gnarled, instrumental hell and the earliest and most primitive of heavy metal.
I have been asked, on numerous occasions, whether such music truly inspires me and if so, in what way. It is a difficult question, but the answer I give is almost universally the same – such music, whilst sharing little in common with the traditional verse-chorus-verse structure that dominates modern thinking, holds much in common with the music of soundtracks and, as such, it elicits a specific mood and atmosphere. Without vocals, the music turns to the imagination to fill in the gaps, and there is nothing better than to listen to music such as this and simply allow one’s mind to roam free over virgin territory as the music guides you. The result is that each listen is unique both between listeners and to the listener themselves as the images the imagination throws up are invariably based on experience, mood and place and thus no listen to such a disc is ever the same. It takes bravery to create such music, and it takes restraint too, not to simply burst into familiar riff patterns, and Twinesuns are masters of restraint, holding their hand until the last minute, only to unleash some crushing riff at just the right moment, burying the listener in an avalanche of sound. Best listened to on headphones or very, very loud, ‘the leaving’ is the soundtrack to the movie in your head and is best absorbed quietly and alone for maximum impact. Overall, ‘The leaving’ is an intelligent, imaginative, beautifully packaged piece of music and whilst it is surely not for everyone, for those who revere passion and integrity as key in the process of making music, it is an absolute must.
