Griz+zlor - Black Summer [Phage Tapes - 2012]“Black Summer” offers up just over two hours worth of blacked & low end rumble based HNW, which is deep in grim & truly hopeless spirit. This Philadelphia based project has been putting out slabs of dense/ blacked HNW on & off since 2006, and this new two tape set is sadly to be the last by the project. The release comes in the form of a double c62 tape set. The two tapes come in a see-through long double cassette case. The tapes cover is a made up of a three colour screen print with the first layer of ink being flat black, second layer being clear gloss and third layer a metallic black. Also the cassettes themselves are spray painted green and stamped with a hand made lino cut, so just like everything put out by the great Phage tape label there’s a lot of thought & effort gone into this. Each side of tape features just a single dense submersion in blacked walled noise, and each of the four tracks on offer here are as pained as the last. Opening up the set we have “A Coffin Full Of Hope”, and this ‘wall’ is built around a bleak & ear canal pummelling mass of churning aquatic low end rumbling. This main tone is weaved by thinner judders & sweeps of texture, and to me the track gives the impression of an slow motion ‘n’ churning underwater fight going on between two weary & grim looking beasts. Like all the tracks here this track remains dark, dense & fixed through-out it’s running time. Over onto to side two of the first tape, and we have “Paint It Black”. This track is built around a billowing & darken central low end texture, this is surrounded by the odd subtle sub-tones- the ‘wall’ feels like it’s constantly lower or falling down on you. The track brings to mind a slowed & sludgy avalanche in some deep ‘n’ dark subterranean carven Onto tape two, and on side one we have “Always Wear A Smile”. And this ‘wall’ is built around a deep, vast & cavernous low end rumble, which just seems to keep spreading out further & further. The ‘wall’ is deeply enclosing/ encasing in it’s vibe, yet there’s something oddly comforting about it too- like you could just effortlessly fall over & over in the bleak void of it all.
Over onto the last side of tape & we have “Last Gasp”, and this I guess is most rapid of the four tracks with a mid paced sort of galloping pace. The ‘walls’ built around a locked juddering & chugging rumble, and this is mirrored by a crude droning road like tonality in the background. Again this track is another soul sucking bit of hopeless low end wall-making. “Black Summer” is a truly hopeless, unforgiving & pitch black collection of walled noise. So if you enjoy been engulfed by low end & truly blacked HNW this is a must have item. Roger Batty
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