Components of Lucifer Refraction

So far the one-man entity known as THERIOS has only released two discs on the world (I and II), but I'm already thinking someone needs to do the documentary-style expose treatment recently thrown down at the reclusive and enigmatic Jandek. Based in Ohio, these two discs arrived at WFMU in 2001 sporting simple, toxic titles of songs like "Electrocution","Lobotomy","Drugs", and "Punctured" (Real Audio) and as soon as they hit the CD deck I knew I was hearing a new pinnacle in trash sound coupled with a diseased mind at work. Blaring, overmodulated metal can rhythms with piercing treble, loops of guitars put through a blender via some kind of computer editing, swallowed-microphone gutteral vocals again burying EVERYTHING in the mix and just one of the most evil vibes of any record period. Whenever it airs, it's almost pure electric shock from whatever the segue is, and it NEVER fails to get commentary via phone or email (usually by folks going crazy over it or hating it). I can't decide whether it's taking black metal to a whole new lo-fi realm it's yet to go to, or if it's just  a simple document of insanity. The first album definitely sounds like some of the early Yamataka Eye noise-trash experiments (Hanatarash especially comes to mind), but it's much more rhythmic despite the chopped up samples (which all seem to be based on actually instruments played by Therios himself). The second album definitely has more nods to traditional black metal, but again, I think this shit would scare even the Norweigians. They both emanate from the Hollenden label, run by a fellow named Keith Knudson. I do not know if he *is* Therios, if Therios has ever performed, or ever will. But years down the line, it still totally blows my brains out when I put it on. I also recommend it to my record store employee friends who can't get customers to leave at closing time. If anyone knows more about this dude, do tell.

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[Foreign Internet Listener C]

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http://www.hollenden.com/bio.html