We have written frequently over the last six years about the music of the Italian band Thecodontion, whose primeval and prehistoric thematic interests have been as interesting and erudite as their guitar-less but ever-evolving formulations of death metal. And so we were highly intrigued to learn that Thecodontion vocalist G.E.F. had started a new band named Clactonian, joined by Thecodontion drummer V.P. (also in SVNTH) and Finnish musicians who include Ashen Tomb on the resume.
Like Thecodontion, the thematic interests of Clactonian are rooted in prehistory, and particularly the Paleolithic Age. The name itself is a term given by archaeologists to an industry of European flint tools made by an extinct species of archaic humans who lived hundreds of thousands of years ago. (You can find more about here.)
Clactonian‘s debut demo, which we’re premiering today, is entitled Dea Madre (“Mother Goddess” in Italian). It too has prehistoric connotations, because that title refers to the famous Venus of Willendorf, a small figurine discovered in 1908 that’s estimated to have been made around 29,500 years ago. As this article discusses, researchers have speculated that the figure and others like it represented an early fertility deity, perhaps… a mother goddess. The figurine’s image features in the cover art of Dea Madre, with notable modifications in keeping with the music.
But what about the music on the demo? Although you might guess that it is linked to the musical interests of Thecodontion, it instead pursues a different path, a path of early bestial black/death metal that (as G.E.F. has told us) draws strong influence from Beherit but also should appeal to fans of Archgoat, early Bathory, and some bass-driven bands like Barathrum or early Necromantia for the slower sections.
This first Clactonian demo consists of three short songs dedicated to the Stone Age, plus a cover of an even shorter song by the seminal US black metal band Von.
“Bone Ritual” opens the experience in mauling and mangling fashion, with a voracious flurry of heartless, writhing guitars, manic drum spasms, and deep bass undulations, punctuated by punchy clanging throbs and shrill soloing delirium that spears the senses and also magically soars. The tone of the riffing is ugly and pernicious, and the serrated-edge vocals sound authentically demented and demonic.
It’s an exhilarating and eviscerating way to begin, and the follow-up title track maintains the ferocious and deleterious energy, discharging dense and abrasive riffing whose dismal whirring tones sound like some kind of merciless feeding frenzy, again backed by thundering subterranean upheavals, fronted by gnashing vocals, and elevated by another crazed solo. But the music also begins to gruesomely heave, paving the way for another attention-seizing solo that sounds supernatural.
Clactonian then slow the pace with the opening of “White Thunder,” creating an even more primitive and hopelessly oppressive atmosphere, though still grimy and gruesome. The band leaven the crawling and clawing with accelerated eruptions and a brief bass solo that leads into a choking tar pit of sound, as well as briefly quieting the morbidly diseased guitars and the cackling-goblin vocals to let the drums and bass hold the reins. Another guitar solo, maybe even more freakish than before, sends this musical beast to its zenith.
And last, there’s the cover of Von‘s “Lamb“. Prefaced with truly ghastly vocal proclamations, it comes for the throat, throbbing and seething, feral and increasingly frenzied, with a few quick stops and starts along the way and one final soloing convulsion.
To sum up, this is a promising first demo that will surely appeal to fans of the bands mentioned above. It’s ugly and unhinged, inhuman and devouring, but also frighteningly lustful, and it further includes corrosive hooks that make it perversely infectious, as well as startling appearances of supernatural sonic visions.
CLACTONIAN is:
G.E.F. – vocals
R.P. – guitars
K.H.P.K. – bass
V.P. – drums
K.L. – all guitar solos
Clactonian will independently release Dea Madre via Bandcamp on July 12th, on cassette tape and as a digital download.
The music and lyrics were written by G.E.F. (except for the Von cover). The demo tracks were recorded in various locations between Italy, Finland, and Poland, and they were mixed and mastered by Jacopo Gianmaria Pepe at Le Trombe degli Angeli Studios in Rome, Italy.
The band’s logo is by Nicola Redavid, and the striking cover art and layout were made by Maurizio Mollo.
PRE-ORDER:
https://clactonian.bandcamp.com/album/dea-madre
FOLLOW CLACTONIAN:
https://www.facebook.com/clactonian.metal
https://www.instagram.com/clactonian.band