Identity Relocation Response Version 4.7: Alpha Numera Beta.
Case document: Chapter Ahead Being Fake
Culprits: Boris & Torche
Tracks at Hand: “Luna” and “King Beef.”
Description of priors:
Japanese chameleons known as Boris drop Absolutego in 1996, redefining Earth and frying amplifiers with over an hour’s worth of drone. Amplifier Worship releases two years after, and while still retaining a powerful, droning guitar tone, songs are split into sections of doom and stoner-tinged Sabbath worship. In 2000, the group unveil Flood, a four part sprawl that rushes and calms with soothing melodies and post-rock signatures. The group once again 180s in 2002 with the dissemination of Heavy Rocks, a burnt out stoner-metal opus, evoking the sand-swept landscapes Kyuss inhabited during their green-soaked reign of the desert underground in the 90s. Over the course of six years afterward, Takeshi Ohtani, Wata, and Atsuo Mizuno expand and diversify this palate by collaborating with Sunn O))), Merzbow, and a number of Japanese noise artists. Throw in some of the catchiest psychedelic releases since its inception and reign in the 60s (Pink and Akuma No Uta), and a two-disc, multi-stereo concept album (Dronevil: Final), it would not be misguided to claim this band is the epitome of renaissance. They’ve done everything, and they’ve done it well.
Miami, Florida natives Torche are young in their back catalogue. In 2006 they released their Self-titled effort to critical acclaim, and their 2007 In Return EP solidified them as sludge metal mainstays, but nobody was prepared for last year’s Meanderthal. Still buzzworthy at the time of this publication, the album is fast, catchy, and unlike anything they’d recorded before. A perfect mate for the Japanese trio.
Description of Incident:
Torche and Boris have teamed up to release Chapter Ahead Being Fake, a split 12″ LP through Aaron Turner‘s Hydra Head Records and on CD through Daymare Recordings. Side A features “Luna” by Boris, while Torche contribute “King Beef.” Artwork depicts the members of each group flying on dragons, wielding pistols, and fighting with swords. It appears as though someone was influenced by the Golden Lion kung-fu films of yore. Further evidence can be witnessed here:
Witness’ Account:
Each track on this release is a deliberate attempt to entrap the listener. Boris seduce said listener with ethereal soundscapes reminiscent of material found on Flood while easing into the harsh blasting occupying much of “Luna.” A confusion of extremities is at play here: tremolo picked, heavily distorted passages fuse together with unearthly blast beats as angelic, melodic vocals soar overtop the soundscape. Sonics occasionally break into a post-rock haze not far removed from My Bloody Valentine or Vheissu-era Thrice. Both harsh and listenable, it’s the best fusion of polar opposites since Enslaved incorporated progressive rock and shoegazing influences in the seminal Mardraum – Beyond the Within. The sound is close to that of Richard D. James Album Aphex Twin, in that it beautifully and unrelentingly combines the disparate influences and sounds from past recordings into something so inaccessible it folds in on itself and becomes just the opposite.
In contradiction to Boris’ track, Torche rush in with guns blazing, utilizing Steve Brooks‘ destructive far-past-detuned chugging (a staple of the band’s sound) atop a tribal beat provided by the omnipresent Rick Smith. It’s not a new setup for the Floridians, but it is so refreshingly catchy that listeners have been known to bob their heads uncontrollably. The proceedings take a darker and less listener-friendly approach than tracks found on Meanderthal, instead opting to find its place nestled softly between the harsher In Return and self-titled releases.
Deliberation:
Chapter Ahead Being Fake is a synthesis and amalgamation of everything that makes both Boris and Torche great artists. Each only contribute one track to the release, but they could rightfully assume the pole position in each group’s oeuvre. While the record appears a throwback to the past of each band’s canon, its parts coalesce and converge so that it is more akin to a study in each group’s history rather than cobbling together different parts.
Verdict:
How does one rate a two song release? Out of principle, one should think the score would be lower based on the “triviality” and novelty of such output, but this is far from filler. This, in fact, could be one of the most important splits dropping in recent memory. Two bands have reached a peak and it is fully, audibly expressed in this split’s grooves. Hearwax‘s rating system is based not on song length, album art, or trivialities. To score this release under a 9.0 would succumb the album to a “nearly perfect” status that “lacks ‘something.’” This release lacks nothing but length. So there you have it. This is as close to perfection a split is likely to achieve: Two artists putting just as much effort into a small release as a full-length. Here’s to hoping there will be more Boris and Torche collaborations in the future.
(9.0/10)
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