Ordeal by Roses - Red Death

Ordeal by Roses – Red Death – Black Ring Rituals – Cassette/Download – 2021

https://blackringrituals.com/album/red-death

https://ordxxlbxrxsxs.bandcamp.com/

      1.    Blood Was Its Avatar, And Its Seal.

      2.    Grave Cerements and Corpse-Like Mask.

      3.    And The Flames of the Tripods Expired.

      4.    And Darkness, And Decay, And the Red Death Held Illimitable Dominion Over All.

      5.    God’s Whip with Which to Punish the Nations

Red Death is the fourth release by Welsh Power Electronics project Ordeal by Roses. As you all know, I have followed this project closely and have been impressed by all three previous releases. I type this without having heard the release yet, even the titles have weight and depth to them – I hope the work has the same impact.

When I play the first track, the suspense is killing me, the importance the project has to me is why I can’t hide that fact in this review. The sounds go off until depraved vocals echo through the noise, this is illegible screaming that forms a black hole of sound. The increased agitation of the metal abuse manipulates the track’s ambience and build up intensity. Slow piercing feedback whistles at the start of Grave Cerements, this plays with the space of the sound whilst antagonising the listener as it shifts and winds through itself. The vocal that fights with this noise emerges, guttural and full of echo - it is a different approach to previous vocals demonstrated by the project, if anything this is a purer type of Power Electronics vocal, inhuman and horrid. So far, I feel a step up, the antagonistic hellishness demonstrates a new approach: as the tones wail, emotion can be felt. I that feel at times, the sounds are doing the talking, not the voice.

Bingo, track three onward shifts into the higher gears as all (And the Flames of Tripods Expired) explodes and the sound is humming and distortion colliding in a wall like manner to make a guttural blast – it talks lots. Resonating, expansive synths throw melancholy everywhere as a vocal rant goes off on And Darkness, And Decay.. those synths dominate bigtime. The rant continues behind a massive blast of Industrial noise for the final track God’s Whip… , here the vocal is enraged and desperate. The sound is huge and the vocal clear in its diatribe until noise takes over and really cuts into the track to allow for the shouting to return, it clears space. This is where the project really goes off, the rage explodes, the sound dies and we are left with the lone whistle of feedback.

The range of sounds the project uses has shifted in many new directions, whilst the intensity never lets up. Just hearing this new album has made me happy and secure in the knowledge that to me, Ordeal by Roses is now a key voice in contemporary Power Electronics.

Coventry Soul 2021.

Ordeal by Roses - City of Forms.

 Ordeal by Roses – City of Forms – MC/CD – Outsider Art 2020.

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/

https://ordxxlbxrxsxs.bandcamp.com/

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/

Sometimes work comes along that destroys all you knew before as it wires itself to your nervous system, it’s a rare occurrence, but you always know when it has happened. That is my relationship to Ordeal by Roses and after two great tape releases, I nervously approach the debut album - the stakes are high.

As spoken dialogue opens the album and leads us into City of Forms 1- Hostile Architecture I feel as if I am somewhere in between a dream and a soundtrack. Melodic synths and distorted electronics play off each other radiating an intense, hostile beauty. The vocals kick off somewhere within the psychological architecture of sound. Hurt Hostility rises to the forefront as City of Forms 2- Time as a Suture explodes briefly – short, sharp facts expressed through rage and walls of distortion. New ideas in new forms as beats, drones and an intermittent vocal form a circle to make a ritual of pain that is The Mask of a Child.  

The spoken dialogue returns as The Wheel Refuses to Spin (To the Least of my Brothers) and switches to traumatised shouting whilst the drones play out. This combines instrumentation and noise to an impressive degree with both taking the lead at the right time, this happens a lot throughout the album. Knights of Swords (reversed) switches to a direct assault as noises play off each other building a huge blast as it slowly melds together. The vocal gets in on the action and goes off massively, the noise seems to follow this lead. This is a lengthy, sonic tantrum as everything becomes one to express something.

The last City of Forms 3 – Irreconcilable Distance pulls the beauty back into the sound as melodic electronics and distortion work together whilst the vocal gives out one last surge of dialogue. The anger and beauty combine to bring City of Forms to an end

The abstract artwork on the cover compliments and works like the music as it radiates a life. There is darkness and light within the vague forms, what they are or if they are there at all is hard to tell. The artwork and sounds being one happens a lot on Ordeal by Roses releases.

The contrast of light and dark within City of Forms is vast, the synths in the work have a soundtrack like vastness whilst the vocals - noisy and spoken are impressive. On Monday someone will as what I did this weekend, and I will tell them that I experienced the reality of an existence and it was perfect.

ZG 2020.

Nevis Kretini/Choppy Noodles - 2019 Best of list.

Choppy Noodles > Nevis Kretini – Best of 2019.

This has been an amazing year, so many ace releases. Too many names to mention, it was impossible to limit to 10,so here are my 12 favourites.

Rusalka – Base Waters. Absurd Exposition – LP – 2019.

I knew of Rusalka, but this was the first time that I really listened - I reviewed this on first listen. Base Waters shifts through a lot of changes in Sonic Language over two tracks to create an album of powerful conceptualised effect. The sound builds to massive proportions as the language shifts and I am now very aware of this top tier project.

Nacht Und Nebel – Limitations – Self Released Cassette and Download– 2019.

I’ve gradually accumulated a lot of Nacht Und Nebel releases over the years through seeing the project play live. Both live shows and releases are always consistently strong with the project playing with acts like Ramleh, Blackcloudsummoner, Vampyres, Culver and many more over the years. However, this release really does stand out against the others, here the project really ups its game. Sounds are all sourced from a Cello and treated to varying degrees, overlaid to make epic compositions.

Ordeal by Roses – A Petty and Childish Obsession – Outsider Art – Cassette andDownload – 2019.

Both releases by Ordeal by Roses on the Outsider Art label this year have been very strong, I could have picked either of them. I’d call this a stand-alone, outsider project based in Cardiff, Wales that has come from trauma to the self. This took me by surprise, and I see this as a standout project amongst newer artists.

Niku Daruma – She Gets What She Wants – Black Ring Rituals – 2019.

Niku Daruma have been prolific this year, they featured on a lot of great split releases as well as their own. They all do other noise related projects, but this one really stands out. Some of the releases are base raw and work even better and I could pick from a few of their releases. They seem like nice people who turn into hysterical, violent monsters when performing, making amazing Harsh Noise whilst erupting everywhere.

Suffer In April – Pomona. Corde Raide Productions – Cassette – 2019.

I met this guy as he runs a tribute page to another noise artist, we got chatting and he said he had his own project called Suffer in April. The first release Femme Fatale is what I would call forward thinking Power Electronics, in contrast Pomona carries on these methods yet goes elsewhere and radiates immense beauty.

Entre Vifs – Offrande et Partage - Aussaat und Ernte - 2019.

This is a beautifully presented cd that cases the angrier side of Entre Vifs. I liked the previous album Ontologie a lot, but Offrande seems to go to much higher levels of intensity. Entre Vifs use their own self-made instruments to create an elaborate sound that is simultaneously structured and chaotic, yet to me they remain one of the most brutal noise acts of the present day.

Wolvestribe – Understanding the Ecological Role – Aaarrrg.

Wolvestribe came to my attention when a label called Harsh Noise London sent me some of their releases. HNL tend to put different artists on compilations together on recycled audio cassettes – Wolvestribe were part of a 4-way split. I was very impressed and had to investigate further and I was suitably convinced that we have a new heavyweight amongst the newer UK noise crop. Wolvestribe release their own lathe cut 10” records and frequently produce new material that is consistently of a high standard.

Testing Vault – Amnesia Milk. – Looney Tick – 2019.

I’ve followed Testing Vault for over a decade now, the project has changed and shifted gradually – with side projects that experiment in other areas of sound. The output by the project has been consistently strong, but Amnesia Milk seems to take the sound of reeds and drones that have been lurking in recent releases and take a massive leap forward with them to perfect things. Amnesia Milk eclipses Complete Shit Exorcism as the best Testing Vault recording so far.

S.T.A.B. Electronics – Enemy of Pigs – Unrest – 2019.

S.T.A.B. grabbed my attention as a strong modern-day project. On ‘Day of the Male’, the vocals were next level. ‘Mother, Mother, Mother please’ as a repeated opening sample opens Enemy of Pigs, this album is just bleak violence and pushes the project forwards to new levels of intensity and quality. Seeing the project live at the opening party for the release was something I will never forget. This album is strong on every track, a consistent, impressive step up.

Satori – The Braver the Bull, the Better the Bullfight – Outsider Art – 2019.

Outsider art often releases Knifedoutofexistence and does batches of four cassettes, all by different artists. The acts featured are often newer artists on the UK scene, however this time veteran project Satori was featured. It’s a repeated rule in PE that newer artists are where it is really at and older acts are often seen to be not what they were once. When I saw Satori live this year, that wasn’t the case, Dave Kirby was an unnerving presence which made for an effective show. Satori has this distanced rage that I see come through in other Outsider Art acts of the present day such as Ordeal by Roses and Knifedoutofexistence to a point where I see it as being influential. To top it off this cassette is excellent – clear evidence of an older act at the top of its game.

Active Denial – What Dreams are Made Of – Outsider Art – 2019.

Both releases by Active Denial are powerful, but this one is the best one, the sound is stripped down, raw and intense. Horrible noise and ranted sermons of bile. Active Denial are a name to watch as recordings and live performances are amazing. Get both recordings if you can, this was so popular it was gone in the blink of an eye and Research Laboratories reissued it. Thomas Laroche (one half of AD) has a whole bunch of stuff on there that is a whole new nightmare running parallel to this. I’m still not over the Summer of Hate, don’t know if I ever will be – you’re still it.

Detrimental Effect – Your Truth – Tesco – 2019.

I often talk about distanced Power Electronics; this however uses restraint in its sound – the tension that builds up as a result of this on Your Truth is enormous and makes for an effective, powerful release. Noise and samples play off each other, things pushed a hair’s length from their breaking points. This depiction of the lies used in politics and media is the soundtrack of today.

Nevis Kretini 2019. 

Ordeal by Roses - A Pettey and Childish Obsession.

Ordeal by Roses – A Petty and Childish Obsession – Cassette/Download – Outsider Art – OA033 – 2019.

https://outsiderart.bandcamp.com/album/a-petty-and-childish-obssession

https://outsiderart.bigcartel.com/

https://ordxxlbxrxsxs.bandcamp.com/

Tracklist. 

     1.   Sacred Waters.

     2.   Endless Grey.

     3.   Empty Chair.

‘all this stuff that I’m saying now, it feels like it’s just a load of bullshit to me, it may mean something, but in the end it’s something that happened.’ Album opening quote.

I kept checking Outsider Art until this landed today again and again, I was going to write up the pre notes from an Instagram photo yesterday, it's like that.

Sacred Waters is immediately harrowing, resonating deep sadness as simple keyboard lines repeat over sampled drones that have a churchlike and spiritual feel. The muffled distant vocal erupts and is warped through warbling effects as the sounds’ sonic platform distorts and shifts. As waves of distortion enter, they overwhelm emotionally and sonically.

Sharp bursts of noise come, and shrill coils of sound reinforce these – however this time the vocal is prepared as it shouts and fights with the noise. The vocal intensifies as do the sounds, neither lets up. Endless Grey appears to be a fight that simultaneously rips inwards and outwards, but the sound eventually backs the vocal up to become an outward pouring of Trauma and grief, this shifts method to a spoken delivery and continues its work.

Empty Chair previously appeared as a lone track on the Ordeal by Roses Bandcamp earlier this year. Here its mournfulness is amplified by the vocals and bleak synths, serving as a perfect finale to A Petty and Childish Obsession.

At 3.32 on Halloween moments like this are my reward for doing this blog. Power Electronics is dead? - listen to this, Active Denial, S.T.A.B, Suffer in April or Niku Daruma and it very much isn’t. Every element familiar to the Ordeal by Roses sound has been perfected via minimal combinations so that within the space of each track, the feelings and moods that need to be conveyed are very clear and concise. 

This release is either as good or better than the first one, but that was perfect too, so I can’t really ask for more or say any more.

Nevis Kretini 2019.

Ordeal by Roses Bandcamp Raid!!!!!!

Ordeal by Roses Bandcamp overview.

Ordeal by Roses – Cardiff UK.

https://ordxxlbxrxsxs.bandcamp.com/

I recently wrote about the series of four cassettes on the Outsider Art label, each one was by a different young UK Power Electronics artists, you’ll see how excited I got over the Active Denial tape and one by a new Welsh PE act called ‘Ordeal by Roses’. ‘Welsh Power Electronics’ and ‘Death Fixated Power Electronics,’ already I’m blown away by those descriptions. This comes from a country steeped in ancient mysticism, a land that will never really be ‘Westernised’, a dragon that will never die – I’m not talking shit either, I see this every time I go to see my Mother in Law several times a year.  I recently went to my Step Father In Laws funeral in Wales, then my cat got run over, I’m not really over either, this work kind of resonates so very powerfully in my life right now – that self-titled cassette is a diamond, a bright shining diamond that I can’t leave alone. So here I go on an unannounced Ordeal by Roses Bandcamp raid!!!!!!!

Demonstration. 

Demonstration (September 2017), begins as wall noise, various frequencies of distortion dominate and pitch against each other. PE frequencies begin to resonate massively, flooded over by the walls of distortion and interrupted by sharp frequencies. This could be mistaken for Harsh Noise but is an abstracted raw display Power Electronics dynamics. This is described as an improvisation to let listeners know what to expect in a live setting, I’d call it the first confident steps of Ordeal by Roses.

Document 1: Action 12.

Document 1: Action 12 (November 12, 2017) I believe is an early live performance, or the 12^th performance. The performer introduces what he’s doing screams and restrained noise begins, it does rise at times, but restraint is consistent to work around the vocals; spoken shout, a dialogue, the performer allows himself to be drowned by the walls of distortion, yet he punctuates it with rude blips and noises. Here we see little bits of Ordeal by Roses begin to show and develop. The later vocals are pure upset rage, not something I’d want in my face. It morphs into a throbbing Death Industrial passage of sound whilst the vocals seem intent on killing everything, as it dies down, the menace is still very prominent.

HOSPICE//CEMETARY.

HOSPICE//CEMETARY ( July 9^th 2018) the artwork to the download is impressive and powerful, a cemetery, Welsh I assume. This starts simply by resonated infected frequencies, tweaking their distortion until a temporary wall of distortion stands, the sounds crackle and creak through the transparent walls. The vocal seems to have now elevated itself to the next level, it is backed by some hiss as everything else is killed off. This is the sound of pain and mourning, just fucking blasts of it, paragraphs of pain that seem to increase in their volume and become less audible as they get angrier- the angriness is amplified by the noise. This is done well, very well.

EMPTY CHAIR//DEATH'S WHITE FACE.

EMPTY CHAIR//DEATH’S WHITE FACE (May 29^th 2019) haunting artwork accompanies this recent release. This is more representative of the fully formed Ordeal by Roses sound, it’s mournful and angry and seems entrenched in the Welsh landscape, I don’t know why but images of the place flood my mind. If you think of the work of Cremation Lily early on, this takes that forward-thinking attitude and jettisons forward with it. Just by pulling the noise back and allowing Keyboard harmonies to dominate you’re immediately somewhere else, this shoots ahead of the tape in progression.

I stand convinced in my enthusiasm, excuse me, I’m off to buy the tracks in case this Bandcamp disappears. Outstanding work sir, you’ve impressed the fuck out of me - I will always be watching.

Choppy Noodles 2019