(written by Islander)
We have a rare treat for you today, not just an exceptionally good new song by An Axis of Perdition but also an exceptionally good new video.
Let’s get to the video first. It tells a story, something like a haunting fairy-tale that the Brothers Grimm might have imagined. It was directed by award-winning filmmaker Randal Plunkett. The interior settings and the costumes are beautifully made, the exterior settings well-chosen. It’s also well-acted and meticulously filmed, and the narrative unfolds in a way that’s gripping.
Here’s a comment about the short film by Randal Plunkett himself:
“Having been asked to come up with a storyline for a narrative video for the song, I wanted to create something that resonated with some of the themes off the album. One of the central themes was self-destruction. Self-destruction was a catalyst that led to the idea of creation, and being poisoned by the jealousy of others. This is the inciting incident that propels the creation’s journey.”
That journey involves a toymaker and his creation of a beautiful life-size doll that he brings to life, a doll who ultimately brings him back to life after both of them are assaulted by a hateful wretch. Again, from Mr. Plunkett:
“The irony of the story is that the toymaker’s creation saves him and ultimately leads to him being recreated. Ultimately, being saved by your art is often what can be the defining difference that keeps creators and artists going. I hope that this notion resonates through the video, and I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with An Axis of Perdition and Apocalyptic Witchcraft, a collective of voices who should be heard.”
And now some information about the band and thoughts about the song, “I Am Odium.” The song is included on Apertures, a new album by An Axis of Perdition that was released by Apocalyptic Witchcraft last December, and the first album released by the band in 13 years. It is the solo work of Michael Blenkarn-Durning.
The album is a continuation of the band’s experimental blending of dissonant industrial elements and extreme metal, but has rightly been described as an album that delves into surrealism and atmospheric depth, often chilling, often viscerally frightening, always dazzling, always captivating.
In the case of an early single, “Private Acts of Abnegation“, we described it as a head-spinning sonic tapestry — deliriously ecstatic and eventually sounding like “prog metal exuberantly performed by an off-planet species, strange and wondrous….”
In the case of “I Am Odium“, the guitars brilliantly and mysteriously ring and blare like sirens, but the song then unfurls with vivid drum progressions and an elegant flowing melody that’s beautiful and beckoning but still mysterious.
The song is quite multi-faceted and dynamic, and so the music becomes more tormented and hostile. Bestial growls and livid screams lead the way into jolting blows, frantically darting notes, and shrill swirling tonalities. It’s an intricate and electrifying experience, but as the music continues evolving, a guitar solo (with tones suggestive of a sax) spirals in ways that are even more exhilarating.
It begins to sound like we’re taking a fast spin through an entrancing carnival of strange and perilous delights. The music sometimes sounds like a brass band populated by delirious but very skilled madmen. The music also builds and expands, creating sensations in the finale that are a panoramic (but still sparkling) hybrid of glory and despair.
Really a remarkable song, and deserving of this remarkable video:
For more info about Apertures and An Axis of Perdition, check out the links below.
https://apocalypticwitchcraft.bandcamp.com/album/apertures
https://www.facebook.com/AnAxisOfPerdition
https://www.instagram.com/anaxisofperdition/
