To Synth and Beyond

It's been awhile since I wrote anything here, and that was mainly due to expending all my creative energies on music and turning ever more inward due to the recent plague. Staying at home away from everyone has never been difficult for me because I just don't feel attached to the human race. I suppose a childhood of being bullied and the oppressive mind control of a Catholic school system didn't help improve my impression of my fellow man. I'd like to say that I shook all that off and have now embraced love and acceptance of everybody but that is simply not the case. Truth is, I enjoy being alone and I use that time to create. 

Technics SX-K500 inherited from Evelyn Sytsma

During the pandemic, I decided I wanted to come out of it a better musician, so I finally embraced the keyboard and decided to learn at least a little basic music theory. I've always avoided learning too much music theory because I thought that it would reduce the originality of my music. I feel like I disproved that since my options are greater now than before. And actually, I've not played much guitar since I first laid fingers on the very beautiful synthesizer that had patiently waited in my basement ever since my grandmother-in-law Evelyn passed away and left her instrument with my wife and I. 

Luckily, there exists a perfect outlet to my budding and amateurish attempts at synth music: Dungeon Synth and the slightly newer Synthwave / Vapowave scene. Dungeon Synth is by no means new to me, since I've been an obsessed Mortiis fan since the 90's. Those Mortiis albums were spun here more times than I can count. So, my first attempt at a dungeon synth release was Nebuleth - Vampire Planet. 

I chose to release this only on Cassette tape and Minidisc (one of my favorite formats of all time). I had a lot of experience with Minidisc, since I had used a stereo Minidisc recorder as a mixdown/mastering deck back when CD burners were thousands of dollars and the MD deck was only $400. I also recorded the first Satan's Almighty Penis demo and the Erasmus demo on a Mulititrack Minidisc recorder, the Sony MDM-X4. 

The Dungeon Synth community seems to embrace analog tape and the synth/vapor wave community dips it's foot into Minidisc so I decided to try that route. For the most part, it has been extremely satisfying to be able to produce an entire album in much shorter time that it ever took me to produce any of my When Bitter Spring Sleeps heavy metal offerings. Plus, the size and quality of the Minidisc has allowed me to avoid the insanity of the vinyl scene and all that over-hyped madness and waste. Now, I know that is going to irritate someone, so I'll just say that yes, I think vinyl is ok, but given the problems the world faces right now environmentally, I think those huge platters of plastic shipped around the world have no place in the future. 

- Lord Sardonyx 2022

 

Stellar Ancestry

Stellar Ancestry, a track from the previous When Bitter Spring Sleeps album "Dungeon Metal" touches on a topic that I have always been very fond of: astral travel. 

I've explored the concept of astral travel through my art a few times. From Spectral Aeons in the 90's and more recently, through the music of Nebuleth, my new synth project. 

I'm not talking sitting cross-legged and closing your eyes and repeating your mantra until your mind leaves your body. I'm talking about truly leaving your body forever. 

Some folks believe in heaven or hell or some sort of afterlife. But my beliefs are more akin to something link reincarnation. I don't think that I'll get to return as a higher or lower lifeform, but I suppose that is far more probable than sprouting wings and playing harp in the clouds. You see, I have a rather scientific slant on my beliefs that tells me that yes it is possible when I die, that eventually some part of me will end up inside another living thing. I may be a rock or water or tree for awhile before I get the chance to be a conscious being again. And maybe it will be a very very long time before my spirit can again view the world through self aware senses. Maybe it will be so long, that this planet called Earth will have been swallowed up by our bloated and dying sun. Maybe everything that was once called Earth will be reduced to atoms and end up as nuclear fuel for that sun. 

Our sun will die, too eventually, sending an explosion of matter into the galaxy. There we'll be drifting in space for another very very long time. But, it is always possible that those atoms will once again become something that eventually knows that it is alive. That something will probably be a very tiny part of me. And that something will probably not be human.

The guitars influenced by Mournful Congregation. Light one up and kick back under the black lights. Allow your mind drift onto the stellar winds.

Stellar Ancestry -

 I want of no mercy
or to be a sacrifice
I offer no allegiance
to the seasons of life

I search the starry heavens
betwixt the stellar winds
I wander in the vapours 

beyond time and memory
I sail this cosmic ocean
black waves surrounding me
 Soundless and shapeless

We flounder through the aeons
Voyagers of light our destination blind
 Borne along the night winds
and through star-speckled realms
we gather in abysses of sleep

Through trance-like moments
in times that never pass
Our sparks swim aimlessly

Through phosphorescent storms
Sail for tomorrow's dream
Reborn in shape and majesty

Beyond The Gates

I record my own stuff not because I have to, but because I WANT to do it myself. I like to record music. It's just one of my hobbies. I have total control and can take my time to do it the way that I want. And the result is that I can make any kind of noise I want to. I'm under no obligation to sell records or get anyone to like my art. It's completely selfish in many ways, but fuck it. I spend MY time and energy creating whatever the hell I want and it is totally freeing. It feels amazing. The only reason I release albums at all is because I want a finished copy of the album for myself to kick back someday and enjoy. 

Now, it's not that I feel that I know every damn thing and can do it better than a professional, because that is totally false. I actually admit that I'm not a great recording engineer. I hear a lot of new stuff coming out that sounds incredible. The guitars and drums are crisp and perfect and the mix is so loud that you turn down the CD when it first starts playing. 

I'm not into that at all. Some of my favorite albums of all time are considered badly recorded by today's standards, but I grew up on them and to my ears they sound perfect. Take Possessed's "Beyond the Gates" album for example that was supposedly ruined in the mix. Now, I didn't know that it was "ruined in the mix" until the internet came along to tell me so in many reviews. If it was SO bad, why did I go to sleep with it every single night for years? True, it's a murky mix, and it was probably an accident or oversight or whatever. History has shown us that when artists create something totally new, recording engineers struggle to capture that sound at first. Usually, someone comes along that figures out how to do it. Regardless, Possessed's "Beyond the Gates" album is incredible. It doesn't sound anything like their previous works or the EP that came after, but it is still a masterwork of songwriting and musicianship and atmosphere. 

Oh yes, that atmosphere! That's probably because of the murky mix. There was so much reverb and it blended the edges of everything together in a big gnarly manner. Now, I like my dark creepy music to sound dark and creepy. And this worked perfectly. I wonder if "Beyond the Gates" had sounded like "Seven Churches" which a lot of fans claim to be their favorite album of Possessed, if I still would have liked it so much. Probably not, because "Seven Churches" is so intense, mainly because of the chainsaw sound of the guitars, I needed to be "in the mood" to listen to it. That sharp, nasty sound was not something that I could listen to while I kicked back in bed. However, "Beyond the Gates" had a warm, dark sound that kept my ears pleased and kept me listening over and over.  

So, the question arises: Do you want music that feels good in your ears? Or do you want something that cuts them and makes them bleed? Personally, I love my music heavy and atmospheric and most of my favorite albums are dark and smooth sounding. Those are the ones I keep coming back to over and over. Therefore, I suppose those songs stick with me because I listen to more. 

Jeff Becerra's incredible vocal performance on that album is also what makes it so special to me. It's a wailing gritty moan most of the time, but he still seems to carry a tune sometimes. A lot of you young-uns may not know this, but when Possessed appeared on the scene at that time, critics bitched incessantly about his "broken-glass in my throat" vocal style. They found it tiresome and distracting. I completely embraced his vocal style because it was extreme and angry but still made music. Really, Motorhead was one of the few bands with a style like that at the time. So, sure, Jeff still sounds a bit like Lemmy and who has the courage to complain about that?  And what the hell do you hear so many death metal vocalists doing now? Yep. 

Anyway, I never intended this to be a review of my favorite metal album of all time, because I don't feel reviews are even necessary anymore. Everything is on youtube for you to sample and make your own decision. If anything, a review should just save you some time in looking for music. Then again, why not find your own music? Why not MAKE your own music. I did.

When Bitter Spring Sleeps "Transmigration" is available now at PaganFlames.com and Bandcamp.

Get "When Bitter Spring Sleeps" official merchandise.

Thanks for those that deserve it

Before I continue ranting about how I did this and that on Transmigration, I want to make sure everyone who helped is properly thanked. Thank YOU for reading this and for your support! I know your time is valuable, so I want you to know I appreciate every second of your time that I get for my art. 

First, I dedicate the new "When Bitter Spring Sleeps" album "Transmigration" entirely to my amazing father in law, GEORGE SYTSMA, who died recently from a long war against cancer. He was the sweetest dude on Earth and always asked me about my music. He would do anything for anyone and always had time to help. We joked that you should never tell George you liked something because he would give you a dozen of them next time you saw him. And for gawd's sake, NEVER say you liked his shirt, because he would take it off and hand it to you. Heck, he even built the shelves that hold all of Pagan Flames Productions inventory! George, you will be greatly missed and may you forever reign in the eternal Hall of Kings.

George Sytsma - greatest dude ever

The audio mastering on TRANSMIGRATION and the DUNGEON METAL EP was performed by the amazing Jori Apedaile, owner/engineer at Black Lodge Studios as well as member of the awe-inspiring beautiful metal act ENEFERENS. Jori had to master DUNGEON METAL twice since I put it on tape once then asked him to use his great audio skills by making DUNGEON METAL sound similar to the TRANSMIGRATION songs I recorded quite awhile later to put on CD. He is also an incredible musician with top-notch songwriting skills to boot, and somehow can still bring out all the instruments of my awful mixes.

The insidious black metal screams on new WBSS song "Tachyon Spell" were performed by Syntax A, who many may know as lead vocalist / drummer from Satan's Almighty Penis and ruler of the youtube underground metal realm as Brainsmasher. Check out his channel where he spends way too much time - but still not enough - talking about underground metal albums that need your immediate attention. 

The samples that I used with permission on WBSS song "Descent" were created by the incredible dungeon synth master ERANG. He was making dungeon synth while the Balrog was still a twinkle in the mailman's eye. If you are interested in checking out Dungeon Synth in general, start right here, because his work is immense and absolutely essential.

The incredible new WBSS logo art was created by Moonroot Art. If you listen to any metal in the last several years, you've probably seen one of his fine logo artworks. Seriously, this gentleman is the new Christophe Szpajdel. His work is pure intricate beauty and style.

The "Transmigration" cover artwork was created by artist Ze Burnay When I first saw his work, I thought it was one of the old masters since he used a painstaking ink and brush technique that speaks of true dedication and love of the art. He has created a multitude of incredible masterpieces that you need to check out NOW.

The artwork for the "Dungeon Metal" EP (which is also presented on the new CD) was created by Hellish Maggot. He has a strikingly original / creepy / murky style that blew me away by it's utter metal godliness. His designs are pure gold that also make some killer shirts. Hit him up for your metal artwork needs!

The Transmigration CD digipack layout was made by the fine gentleman at StndGraphics who has done many layouts for me in the past. His work is impeccable and flawless. 

When Bitter Spring Sleeps "Transmigration" is available now at PaganFlames.com and Bandcamp.

Get "When Bitter Spring Sleeps" official merchandise.

Thanks for reading!

- Lord Sardonyx

 

 

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THESE GLEAMING SHORES

A lot of crazy stuff has happened since I started work on TRANSMIGRATION. A worldwide pandemic, A city-wide Derecho (nasty unpredictable storm with winds of 120 MPH), the disintegration of our democracy due to the worst president we've ever had (hint: he wouldn't leave even when we impeached him), and the death of my father-in-law, one of the only people to always ask how my new music was coming along.

The first track on TRANSMIGRATION is entitled THESE GLEAMING SHORES. Below you'll find the lyrics. It is heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's Dream Cycle stories. Now, I know most are familiar with his CTHULHU Mythos stories, but he spent an equal amount of time traversing the dream world in his stories and they opened my impressionable young mind many a time.Lovecraft often spoke about the dream world as a completely different reality and dimension. When you fall asleep, you are just awake in a different place and time, even as a different person. 

 

I've always taken a lot of inspiration from my own dreamworld for my music and art. I can recall times in my life when my dreams became very powerful. I went through a period where I learned to fly in my dreams and in each subsequent dream I was able to improve the skill. Upon waking, I could describe the sensation perfectly but of course could not repeat it in real life, haha! It was less a feeling of weightlessness and flying as it was a force that I could project away from myself to attain flight and even hover and swoop about almost like a fish swims in the sea. 

Anyway, this track has several vocal styles that I wanted to experiment with like the chants in the beginning that are inspired by ULVER's early works and the lead vocal which is sort of a distorted, harmonized, alien kind of sound achieved with several different vocal effects and the way it was mixed with the music. Sometimes it almost sounds like an old computer modem is transmitting the sound from a distant place. I also used some raw growls / black metal vocals on this track that I don't usually like to do because I feel that I have a decent singing voice and don't want to resort to growls. But, dammit, sometimes the song just gets in a nasty mood and the only thing that seems intense enough is a growl or scream. Usually I have my best bud Syntax A do these shrieks because he is so damn good at it, but the pandemic kept us apart.

These Gleaming Shores - By Lord Sardonyx of When Bitter Spring Sleeps

Once more I pass away
beyond this hollow world
Part skies that hold behind
the mystery of dream
Fine lyrical melodies
that conquer walls of time
aetherial entities vibrate
with souls alight

curtain drawn aside
see through veils of morning
darkened tides of longing
reveal these gleaming shores

dread portents
will fade away
sorcerous winds
erase my fears
rising high'r
between the stars
sailing moments
astral fires

nebulous
with sister suns
bleeding chaos
blissful light
seething heartbeats
without end
blazing memories
tides descend

each night I pass away into the world of dream
surreal dark fantasy that stillness brings to life
no wings of majesty need I to hover high
Mere will and sorcery unveils my hidden pow'rs 

 When Bitter Spring Sleeps "Transmigration" is available now at PaganFlames.com and Bandcamp.

Get "When Bitter Spring Sleeps" official merchandise.

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HOW NOT TO RECORD AN ALBUM

Yes, TRANSMIGRATION, the new WHEN BITTER SPRING SLEEPS full length album is going to be a bit weird. I've fully embraced my previous doom metal influences for the included DUNGEON METAL tracks, but also my black metal and even newer synth ideas will be presented there. 

A split release had been in the works but I decided at the last minute not to proceed with it. So, I had about a half an album's worth of new black metal tracks written and recorded, and all that was set to go. 

While I was waiting for the other artist to complete their tracks, I wrote some doom metal tracks and I was going to have SYNTAX A perform vocals, to create a very black doom metal EP.

Then the freaking virus hit, and Syntax A and I weren't able to collaborate locally, so i did my own vocals for the doom songs.

At the time i was listening to lots of LYCIA, and new dungeon synth, so i thought it might be unique to attempt that type of whispered/rasped vocal style. It turned out to be more difficult than i imagined. That type of strong whispering is really hard on the throat, and getting the right recording sound also served a serious challenge for me.

SYNTAX A did drop by once during the quarantine and recorded some great stuff on a new song called TACHYON SPELL that could almost be a new SATAN'S ALMIGHTY PENIS track because of it's weirdness and nastiness.

When the split was cancelled, i decided to write a few new tracks and just release a new full length album, something i really didn't intend to do again for WBSS. Plus, i had sold my previous amplifier, so had no way to get the same guitar sound. I was never smart enough to record a backup direct guitar signal, so i just had to forge ahead with a new recording setup. I had found an old PALMER guitar amp load box/ speaker simulator on ebay and was now recording guitars without a microphone. It was awesome, but i could not get it to sound anything like the previous songs.

oh well.

I have always put the songs before the sound, so whatever. I believe that music has to be spontaneous and passionate and you aren't gonna get passion from a meticulously computer-edited recording. So, NO, i wasn't going to re-record guitar tracks just because they had a different sound. 

I decided instead to use the transformation in sound throughout the album as an artistic statement: the sound evolves just as the music does along the length of the album. To hell with all these perfection-obsessed recording artists. Just make some damn music already!

I've always respected Quorthon's recording methods: Use whatever the hell you have to record your music. Just get that shit on tape no matter what.

Anywho, so TRANSMIGRATION may be a bit varied mix-wise, but i assure you that Jori Apedaile performed an incredible mastering job on the whole thing, making me wonder why I even worried about this issue. 

In conclusion, TRANSMIGRATION consists of the songs from the planned black metal split, some newer songs using lot's of synth elements, a new intro sequence, and the entire DUNGEON METAL EP previously only on cassette tape.

--

When Bitter Spring Sleeps "Transmigration" is available now at PaganFlames.com and Bandcamp.

Get "When Bitter Spring Sleeps" official merchandise.

TRANSMIGRATION - a musical transformation

So, it's been quite some time since I reported anything here about WHEN BITTER SPRING SLEEPS, but I have not been slacking. The time trapped in quarantine meant I could either wallow or improve myself and learn something new. I chose the latter and taught myself basic music theory on the keyboard, something I've put off my whole musical life. Which is probably obvious. That opened some new avenues for me and also made me learn to enjoy keyboards. My wife's gramdmother died years ago and left us with this vintage keyboard that I have been using lately to write new music. 

As you can see, it is an old Technics machine with lots of limitations but it does allow for basic sound shaping and midi inputs and outputs. I found a simple midi converter for my guitar and am able to use the synth's nice organ tones for single note melodies played on the guitar. Put this through a reverb pedal and it sounds huge and organic, pun intended.

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