At the Mountains of Madness

Over the years there had been quite an amount of different interpretation and creations which used the American writer HP Lovecraft as an inspiration. Only recently, a new band from the United Kingdom emerged – Cold Winter Sun – and their debut had a large focus on the Cthulhu myth. Or take the Ukrainian band Ossadogva or … or … well, the list could be continued endlessly. Epoch's latest and last release (2006) has the title At The Mountains Of Madness and it refers to a novel written in 1931 but published not up to 1936. No, the Northern Irish band did not made a concept album here, but the general direction is still clear and some hints in the contents can be gathered from the song titles. As two separate recording sessions appear on this piece of art, it is best to discuss them separately.


Part I (Tracks 1-5)
Somehow characteristic for the music of Epoch is the use of distortion and noise effects. They appear not only as an introduction to the compositions but also along with the other instruments and attempt to create some sort of dissonance and disturbance in the thrash/black approach of the band. And even though the metal aspects dominate and are the more important here of course, it is nice to hear these neat little additional effects now and then. In style they attempt to resemble the sound of moaning or like something would pass by (the typical space thing used in so many B-movies) ... you get the idea. Keyboards appear on a very small scale, so it is not necessary to discuss them separately.

Aside from this the music has a large emphasis on the thrash metal and a description like early Voivod on a slower tempo plus a bit of black metal in it would give an adequate description of what to look for. The music is not too fast and does not rely on excessive speedy parts, but is rather somewhere in the midtempo regions with some slight hints to the top. Actually, would it not be for the additional noise facets, then someone might actually go so far as to describe the music as calm and too controlled. Moreover, Epoch did not attempt to put to much complexity on the compositions and accordingly are these rather straightforward and a bit predictable in terms of the overall concept. It is the basic formula but executed on a good level. Solos make an appearance in a good amount of compositions and they are well performed; to be frank, actually a bit weird and extreme at times; Out of the Silent Planet. Together with the samples they give the music a special and fascinating touch. Epoch do not perform the standard ritual of thrash metal in their music, they have broadened it in order to give it some special 'space' feeling. So, unlike a lot of other bands, these musicians from Northern Ireland did not associated the Lovecraftian universe with atmospheres of horror, but rather with something that lies outside the realm of humanity. A place beyond the stars. The source of all the abominations, which were covered in so many books and stories.

Some words should be used to discuss the vocals. They appear slightly distorted and are rather spoken than really sung. Maybe croaking would fit the description as well in some respect, but certainly nothing more than that. Even though they are not the most powerful ones, the mix and the production did their best to put them into the right place in the music. Speaking of the production: it is actually quite good. Slightly raw in the style it is able to give the band a special kind of atmosphere which they need to keep the attention of the listener. There are no graven flaws so to speak.

Note: Compared with the early version of the tracks – The Eternal Champion, Out of the Silent Planet – the new versions are of course different and come with a new atmosphere; due to the better crafted production. Nevertheless, these still have their own charm and show clearly the progression the band has taken since their early days. Yet, I am somehow undecided which versions I shall prefer.


Part II (Tracks 6-12)
After a short interlude the music switches from quite good produced to something less favorable and this might be the one downturn for this album. Being recorded at a different place and judging from the sound with a bit of less professional equipment, the band found it difficult to create a similar impression like on the preceding part. So, in order to actually and thoroughly enjoy the music, one has to look beyond the surface and attempt to discover the beauty which is hidden behind under rubble.

What is the difference between the two parts? The second one is shorter – see the lengths of the tracks –, comes with a cover version and more of a rehearsal room atmosphere; as far as someone can speak of such in the face of the degree of distortion that was used for these tracks. Moreover, the basic approach is more straightforward and less complex than in the preceding part; solo appear less, songs are more linear. Actually, in some respect here a different face of the band is shown and even though it is more sinister and disgusting in its expression, it is still able to fascinate.


Why Can't Somebody Love Me? (The Edgar Broughton Band cover)
This is quite a weird cover. The vocals are extremely distorted and remind rather on someone gargling and singing simultaneously with some additional reverb put on top of it. What makes it still a good attempt is the guitar work and especially the solo parts. Especially the first one is really cool and atmospheric, while the second is more atmospheric in its attempt.


Final bits and bytes
It is strange to have these different kinds of productions on this demo release. Maybe it would have been best to spread them separately and not on one CD. So, it is a bit of an ambiguous experience to listen to At The Mountains Of Madness.

Anyway, Epoch did an interesting job here and crafted a piece of art that is not only intense but also fascinated in a lot of respects. The music is not the standard thrash metal approach, but rather something that approached the music from a broader point of view. With noise effects and some well performed solo parts, the band was able to create an interesting piece of music; something a lot of bands try in vain. Black metal as a concept appears on a rather small scale here and can rather be found in the second than in the first part.

So, those who seek for thrash metal with a different touch and have a fancy for Lovecraft, this piece of art is most certainly the place to turn to. As the main person behind this band has only passed away very recently, it could be a tricky task to actually lay hands on it.

Recommended tracks: Out of the silent planet, Why Can't Somebody Love Me?