Things Viral

(Originally written for the MetalMusicArchives under the account "Doomster" - http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/things-viral--review.aspx?id=259536)

Welly, welly, well. Here we have Khanate's second album, "Things Viral", released in 2003 by the great Southern Lord Records.

I am a huge fan of Khanate's first album, their self-titled. I thought it was a masterpiece of drone/doom metal misery, still do. And naturally, I was excited to hear the next album from the New York boys (my hometown!), the subject of my review, "Things Viral". Compared to the positive feedback of the debut, "Things Viral" was generally panned by critics, mainly for not being as "dark" or "heavy" as the debut.

...And quite frankly, I can understand why. This album is...different. Very different from the debut. Khanate have always been a rather unconventional band, but whereas the debut had at least some hint of melody throughout (in the form of "Pieces Of Quiet" and "Skincoat", in case you are wondering), "Things Viral" has completely erased all traces of standard song structure. While the debut was more of a venture through an abandoned mental asylum filled with the lost souls of the mentally insane, "Things Viral" is more of a journey into the deepest, darkest sewers of a ruined city, or perhaps into the pits of a pitch black cave deep underground.

This album is also slow. You are probably scoffing at this comment as Khanate have always been slow, but seriously...this album is so painfully slow that it makes the debut look like speed metal. These songs have no real structure, but that is not a bad thing. Songs usually revolve around deeply unsettling noise made by the instruments, and when actual music in the conventional sense of the word does appear, it has no real rhythm or structure, and then disappears again into literally silence. While the guitars on "Khanate" were crunchy and bone-crushingly downtuned, guitarist Stephen O' Malley takes a very ominous, 'airy' approach to the guitars on this album. The guitars tease the listener, so to speak - while you are expecting this mammoth explosion of sound at one minute, it doesn't happen, and when it does happen, it happens when you least expect it.

As far as drumming goes, it has improved considerately from the debut. Wyskida isn't the biggest influence on me as a drummer, but he is definitely competent. On "Things Viral", his drumming focuses even less on keeping a steady beat. In fact, here, there really isn't that much drumming at all. When he does play, however, he focuses mainly on being heavy and nothing else - the drumming around the 6:42 minute mark of "Commuted" is enough to shatter any skulls within a 200 mile radius.

Dubin's vocals are still as stunning as they were before. However, his vocals on this album are slightly different - thinner and even more sick than in the debut album. His voice conjures up hate, envy, depression, and every other negative emotion you can think of and lets out his pain on the microphone as if it would be the last thing he would ever see in his miserable life. Take, for example, the closing song "Too Close Enough To Touch". Not only is that one of the most unsettling songs I have ever listened to, Dubin's voice emanates everything that was heard in the first three tracks and lets his voice go in a barrage of absolutely repulsive pain, as if it was his final agonized cry for his life to end. It's truly spine-chilling.

Dubin's lyrics are also very, very interesting. They are used alot more than in the debut, and have improved considerately. These lyrics, I think, are interesting because they are very vague, ambiguous and mysterious. Is he screaming about murder, misery...both? It can be a mix of the two at times - "Commuted" seems to be about a mental asylum (or perhaps stabbing someone to death), and "Fields" sounds like it is about drowning someone. Whatever the cause, these incredibly simple lyrics have enough power to keep them from falling flat, no matter how twisted they get.

So, how does this compare to the debut album? Well, in terms of heaviness and "metalness", there is little to nothing here of the sort. If you want more of a straightforward, bone-crunching drone doom album, I'd advise you check out the aforomentioned debut, or Stephen O' Malley's other works with Sunn O))). If you are looking for airy, sickening, slow as all hell power ambient, though, this one's for you.

At first I disliked Alan Dubin's high-pitched vocals for this recording, believing them unsuited for the deep doom metal style but after several spins of the CD I've come round to the view that Dubin's voice complements the sparse and stark arrangements well. Given that the music makes no allowance for riff patterns and melodies, a lead or rhythm guitar isn't needed so Dubin's singing provides the treble counterpoint for the instruments.

Guitars, drums and bass combine with synths to emphasise the lyrics and push the tracks along. Khanate use the space as a backdrop in the music to produce a sense of dread and unease. The guitar contributes ambient effects as well as whatever passes for melody. The expressionistic lyrics which admit no possibility of progress or relief and the very stark nature of the music - nearly everything you hear is upfront - make for an intense listening experience. You're likely to feel drained, even assaulted (if that's the appropriate term) by the music; each track is a psychological study of a severely disturbed person. The last track in particular, "Too Close Enough to Touch" has just enough word and phrase associations, as indicated by the track title and at the same time repeatd and fragmented lyrics, to suggest paranoid schizophrenia or something close. The tracks are not very distinct from one another due to Khanate's musical approach and narrow choice of subject matter. This will annoy those who prefer their songs to be internally consistent and distinct from one another though I find the while album consistent in its concept.

For a recording like this, you need to consider the whole rather than its parts and to have an open mind to the music and lyrics. I'd prefer Khanate to lay on the psychological torment more thickly than they have done here by having more screams and the odd growl or gurgle from Dubin, perhaps with more reverb effects, and making his vocals ebb and flow into the space behind the music. Some distortion of Dubin's vocals or of the guitar tones might have helped to make the music more painful and oppressive.

An original version of this review appeared in The Sound Projector (Issue 13, 2005) which is now out of print.

This album's been getting a fair bit of bad press. I can, to be honest, understand why. Upon first listen, I don't even think I liked it. It's a pretty big step from the Self-titled album, musically. The Self-titled was described as one of the harshest Doom releases ever made, and this one takes it one step further. It's slower, and a lot more minimalistic, so I can see why people think of it as "boring". However, I really think it helps with the atmosphere. It's not supposed to be 100BPM blast-beat mania, so I can take it for what it is. I will admit, this is my least favourite Khanate release, but that doesn't make it a bad album. Not at all. It's interesting to note that in an interview with James Plotkin (Bass, Synths), he said that these types of tracks were made by visual communication. In other words, because they're so slow, and lack anything reminiscent of tempo, the band would give each other signals to play notes. Anyway, on with the review.

1) Commuted-
The album starts off on a slow note. As if that really needs saying. It takes about three minutes to get into this track. It starts with some buzzing, and sound effects, which we're left to assume is Stephen and James tuning their instruments. Then, out of the blue, it starts with Alan's trademarked tortured wail. It goes on like this until the end of the song. However, you'll notice that this isn't the typical Khanate song. It's a lot slower, and so, so much thinner in texture. It's quite unusual since Stephen's guitar tone in Teeth of Lions Rule the Divine, Sunn O))) and Burning Witch are usually overbearingly thick and heavy. Marvellous way to start an album, however. Red glory, indeed.

2) Fields-
Another wild card in the Khanate discography. It picks up where Commuted left off, but this time adds some vocoded vocals reminiscent of Alan's later project, Gnaw. They're terrifyingly atmospheric and really bring the song on a level of it's own. Again with the first and second track taking up almost 40 minutes of the album, it's probably safe to say that if you're not enjoying it thus far, you'll not enjoy the album.

3) Dead
Probably the most "normal" track by Khanate on the album, and also the album's shortest at 9 minutes. It starts with Alan whispering "I was not worth knowing", which reminds me a lot of 'Skin Coat' from their debut. The whispers turn into screams, and vice versa. This happens twice during the song, and manages to stay as creepy as the first time. It also has a very cool music video directed by Alan himself.

4) Too Close Enough to Touch
The final track on this album (awesomely timed at 11:11) is very interesting. It starts off with what sounds like the typical Khanate, but then gradually fades out into very creepy oscillating sounds, with Alan doing a hushed scream. The pace then quickens, getting more and more tense and desperate, and then...the album ends, leaving you staring into space for a while, before ejecting the disc.

As I said before, it's a very different Khanate album, and even if you are a hardened doom fanatic, you may find it hard to get 'into' this album. I know it took me a while. Recommended for those who like their music on the fucked up side.

This is a really poor release. "Things Viral" compared to "Khanate" is just put to shame. Each song is so flat and bland. What really got me was how boring this album is. Before the screams were insane, the music as a whole was insane but on this its just so "blah." The guitar and bass might be heavy but are nothing compared to Khanate's self-titled. The instruments are just background noise to the vocals. Alan has a really disappointing performance on this album. Each song sounds like a doom version of a bed time story. The vocals over power everything and how the screams sound is just so monotone. There is also no atmosphere to the album which was a let down.

From the first 3 minutes of "Commuted" I knew this album was not going to be so good. Everything about the album just makes you want to say "when will this song end." Not like there debut release, the songs on this release are very stretched and lengthy. It's just so unorganized and flat. I can't even call this background noise because it's literally just silent at times. Sometimes there would be only a semi-heavy bass line with screaming vocals. I just thought it was stupid. Not one bit of this album struck me in any way. It kind made me feel pain for how bad it really does sound.

I know I said the whole album is uninteresting but really there are a few moments of good stuff. The only song that sounded decent was "Too Close Enough to Touch." This song is almost just like the others but this song is just so weird. Majority of the song is no music, just screaming vocals but the vocals sound different and thats what I like. The song "Dead" is actually semi-decent for the first five minutes. The song is pretty boring though. As an album though, this is weak. When I look back at the album, its kind of weird. Its just so stupid at times too. This album might not be insane but it might drive the listener insane.

Some parts of the album really piss me off too. I can specifically point them out. If you let this album play through without skipping you might find out why I hate it so much. It really ticks me off that this is coming from Khanate too because there first release was just so damn good.

Overall, there might be some good parts but the bad parts really take over. The whole album is just a big huge "MEH." I don't recommend this to anyone except you like stupid music.

The sophomore effort from New York based act Khanate, 'Things Viral' follows a similar route to their self-titled debut. Extreme doom bands are no strangers to the concept of atmosphere and tension, and this is one album that shows just how agonisingly that suspense can be drawn out. The four bestial tracks of this record almost brace the hour mark, and those unfamiliar with Khanate's dissonant style would struggle to remain relaxed for its duration.

The opener "Commuted" begins with some trebly feedback which could almost be a field recording from the sewers of the Big Apple. The sub-bass drone that follows provides some aural breathing space while coversely darkening the mood, providing the blackboard upon which the vocals will scratch. And hell, do they grate... Alan Dubin presents us with vocals that are the sonic equivalent of Bon Scott being buried alive. Synchronised smashes of guitar & drum beats that resonate at almost single-figure bpm keep things focused. Abstract, delerious lyrics are delivered in gritty bursts of desparation which complete the grim template of Khanate's all-to-unique sound.

This template is conformed to for much of the album, offset occasionally by eerie whispers and seemingly glacial stretches of silence. That this album uses space and silence more openly than its predecessor might suggest to some that it's not as brutal: On the contrary, they serve as swirling voids that - you guessed it - add to the tension. It's not for everyone, but then not every album is such that it's only visible flaws are its consistency and captivating impenetrability...

...this is still a solid release though I will admit it attempts a somewhat different direction from their first album and doesn't match up entirely as a follow up album. The biggest difference between the two and the thing that will likely make or break this album for most people is Khanate adopting silence and empty space as a heavily used aspect of their sound here. The first album was painfully slow and a bit of a new sound for a doom band but it still kept things moving along and managed a fairly constant wall of sound throughout. That is not the case here as instead you'll find frequent sections of songs with very little in the way of music to fill space. The very first song begins with little more then sparse drumming and some vocals for several minutes for example. Khanate's subtle and unexpected transition from extreme doom band to something of an ambient act took me by surprise and at first I didn't like this album simply because there is almost nothing to grab onto musically. Being a fan of O'Malleys other "ambient" band Sunn O))) though probably helped in my digesting and eventually appreciating this album. This does beg the question though if the man really needs two bands playing similar material since Sunn O))) generally was the more ambient act and Khanate the more aggressive and noisier of the two. Either way after having spent some time with it I can say I'm satisfied with this album though it really wasn't where I was expecting them to go. Perhaps a third album will be different

In theory, Khanate sounds like the ideal band: pain-ridden, ultra-slow, extreme experimental doom metal. This was true with the band’s first full-length, which was not bad at all, but in the two years from that release, something went wrong. Things Viral takes the original sound of the group, and overdoes it. The music is almost painful to listen to, and a headache is slowly forming as the CD progresses in my stereo. Other than this, another qualm I have with the album is the overall repetitiveness, and the utter boredom which stems from listening to it. Everything that is done here has already been covered on their self-titled release, but instead of progressing and evolving, they took two steps backwards, and made a second full-length. Slow doom metal is one thing, but combine that with annoying vocals and random pounding on a down-tuned guitar and drum set, and you have the new Khanate. If you’re looking for new doom material, try looking somewhere else first.

Among astrophysicists, one of the two dominant theories concerning the ultimate 'fate' of the known universe that stems from the "Big Bang" theory is that of the perpetually expanding universe. Basically, this theory entails that there is enough kinetic force still propelling the expansion of the universe since the supposed explosion of all that is from a singular, ultra-dense point to keep it expanding forever, to the point where there will not be enough gravity left to allow it to maintain structural integrity, meaning that eventually it will simply disintegrate and would no longer be a universe to speak of. The opposing theory suggests that instead, the universe is currently in the expansion stage of a continuous cycle of dilation and contraction, meaning that at some time in the far distant future the gravitational force from its center will overpower the aforementioned kinetic force, causing it to begin collapsing back into the single point whence it emerged.

What does this have to do with music? Well, consider that music is commonly defined as a: "The art of arranging sounds in time so as to produce a continuous, unified, and evocative composition, as through melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre," or b: "Vocal or instrumental sounds possessing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm." Naturally, there's a disclaimer that music, as an artform, is an entirely subjective matter. However, if your definition of 'music' is close to the traditionally accepted one aforementioned, it may not be wise for you to listen to New York sludge monster Khanate's second album Things Viral, since its take on 'music' stretches the idea of what 'music' is, just as the theory of the perpetually expanding universe does with the idea of what the universe is. In other words, Khanate, whose 2001 eponymous debut roused much controversy because of its unheard-of sub-adagio tempos and its extremist, 'less is more' approach to depressive, claustrophobia-inducing doom, has managed to push that same envelope even further, creating vacant noisescapes with so much room devoted to mere between-note reverb that it can scarcely be considered 'music' at all. The maddening crawl of Khanate has been aggravated to the point of caustic self-parody on Things Viral, with the band transforming from a legitimate, crushingly heavy brand of minimalistic doom to an inaccessible and unnecessary novelty.

To put it bluntly, the pacing of Things Viral barely exceeds that of tectonic plate shifting. The opener "Commuted" is 19 minutes of pure hell:
The first 6½+ minutes of this track is comprised of singular, cardiac-patient-heart-rhythm bass drum hits at 3-second intervals as the only means of keeping time for a series of seemingly ad-libed, single-note guitar strums, cymbal splashes [sparingly used] and Alan Dubin's resonant, twisted screeches. From 6:40 to 11:15, any sense of timing or sustained rhythm that held the first third of the 'song' together seems to go out the window, as the noise intensifies, with guitarist Stephen O'Malley [also of SUNN O))), Lotus Eaters and Burning Witch] begins to play a nauseating, throbbing A-C-B chord progression [yes, there is actually a sustained pattern there, but it's very hard to pick up unless you speed up the track] and Dubin continues waxing nutcase-poetic. After this segment, there's about a 3½-minute span in which the band just hits drums and strings at random like a jam band on a megadose of quaaludes, before returning to the sluggish crawl of the second section, cutting off abruptly at 19:13.51.

If the above description doesn't seem like it makes for much of an enjoyable listen, don't even bother checking out the rest of the album, since tracks 2-4 are more of the same, except with even less attention given to common musical devices like melody, harmony and rhythm. These are not so much songs as sonic abstractions passing for musical compositions. They all seem entirely improvised and created merely to provide a soundtrack to the voicing of some strange, bastardized deconstructionist philosophy in which all meaning is purely contrived and conjectural.

Likewise, Things Viral is 'music' in a purely conjectural sense. It would be interesting to see what kind of reaction such a record would have elicited in the early 1970s, when bands like King Crimson, Rush, Camel and Genesis were at the height of their popularity and viewed as the pinnacle of 'experimental' music thanks to their ability to combine many different [often diverging] styles of writing into seamless compositions with diverse instrumentation. The members of Khanate seem to pride themselves on the 'experimental' nature of their recordings as well, but an album like Things Viral could never be placed in the same league as Starless and Bible Black, Selling England By the Pound, Moon Madness or 2112 because rather than toying around with dangerous new styles of composition to thrill listeners, on this album Khanate simply takes an existing style of music and mangles it beyond recognition.

Is it different? Yes. Is it bizarre? Definitely. Does it make the audience uncomfortable [which is ostensibly the very objective that Khanate seems to set out to accomplish]? Well, if you're anything like me, it'll definitely make you squirm in one way or another. But is it a worthwhile musical venture for both musician and listener? Not unless you've got strong masochistic tendencies..