b r a n d o n

This is where the legend started: on a cassette tape recording from 1985 that has, tragically, never seen any other form of release. If you've heard Les Morts Vont Vite, you know what to expect. Some people call Univers Zero's music "the darkest music ever made," but they've obviously never heard any Shub Niggurath. A six-piece ensemble making heavy use of doom-laden fuzz bass guitar and bass trombone, this is a band that uses a truly massive low end to create some of the most imposing stuff you can imagine. I have a hard time choosing between this debut release and the acknowledged classic Les Morts Vont Vite as my favorite effort by this band. There are some striking similarities; most notably, in the inclusion of "Yog Sothoth" on both albums. The version here is just a little more hard-hitting. The real treat, though, is "Barback" — an epic much in the way of "Incipit Tragaedia" on Les Morts, it's mostly pounding percussion and bass, minimalistic piano playing (with sparsely placed notes chosen for maximum weight), and imposing, tortured guitar solos and trombone bleats on top, along with the occasional haunting female vocals. (Let me emphasize of the trombone here; trombonist Véronique Verdier is a central element of Shub Niggurath's sound, and a major reason they sound so unique.) Describing this sort of thing is tough, especially if you're not familiar with this band's output at all; let's just say that if you were to take Univers Zero's rhythm section and amplify it ten times, then put Roger Trigaux's most extreme Present-style guitar solos into the mix alongside a possessed trombonist, you might have a decent idea of the music here. The two aforementioned lengthy tracks are clearly the centerpieces of this album, but the others are no slouches either. "Entresol" actually kind of grooves, with upbeat, if still imposing, percussion behind a propulsive guitar riff. The trombone playing here sounds almost anthemic, as opposed to the usual creeping-evil style favored by Verdier. Easily the band's most accessible composition, but in no way does that accessibility come at the expense of depth, or, for that matter, darkness. The closer "In memoriam" is an appropriate comedown from the heights of "Barback," a grand, slow denouement that's all spidery guitar and tinkling piano, backed by trombone and as little percussion as necessary to keep things moving. Interestingly, the opening of "In memoriam" foreshadows the opening lines of "Incipit tragaedia," which would kick off Les Morts Vont Vite. And so the two towering achievements by an unforgettable band are inextricably linked; it's just too bad that one of them is almost impossible to find. My guess is that it must be the mental-health lobby that's been keeping this amazing, demented album out of print. review by Brandon Wu — 1-12-06 —