Appreciating Darkness

Our exploration of Canada's contribution to nineties hardcore and metal continues with a fairly unique split LP between Seized and Ire. For most of its life on my turn table, I had only listened to the Seized side-- their sound being unlike anything else I was listening to at the time, yet the tracks were powerful and engaging. Perhaps I was seduced by each track's serene opening, each following an idyllic trail that slowly darkens into a forest of mysterious and sinister goings-on. To say that the tracks are bass-driven is a redundancy after we see in the notes that there are three bass players and no guitarist in the lineup. Seized also employed a violinist who knows her limitations and adds great ambiance, and a vocalist who might have listened to some Cathedral records at some point. If all of this sounds strange, it's because it is; but not in a bad way. Seized is a case where oddness enhances greatness. These would be the last tracks the band would record (and the best), but they also left behind two split 7"s and I believe a 7".
My avoidance of Ire would end with time and the inevitable opening-up of my musical tastes. I still have reservations over the "PC" spoken word portion at the end of "She," (not over its validity, but over its necessity/delivery) but now I just dismiss it as a product of the zeitgeist. At this point, the backbone of Ire's metal was ossified of the same stuff as Rorschach, but tending in the more "sentimental" direction (read: "EMOtive") of bands like Groundwork or Grievance. As the band worked out its ideas, it's easy to see that these guys were endowed with considerable skill and conviction which would continue...

... on their follow-up 7" also posted below. These three tracks see the band giving into their aggressive tendencies and abandoning some of the dissonant flourishes present in past tracks. As is perhaps predictable with musicians like these, the band would experiment a little more with their style on their ensuing two LPs, which I hope to post later this week.

Seized/Ire Split LP (Spineless/Fetus Records)

Ire 7" (Schema Records)

More 7" Comps That Don't Suck Vol.7: "Books to Prisoners"

To continue on the 7" compilations with honorable intentions current, I present the "Books to Prisoners" comp (Young Heirs Project, 1996?). Proceeds from this release were donated to, well, the Books to Prisoners organization, whose purpose probably doesn't need to be spelled out any further. They've been around for over 30 years and deserve our support! Now for the music... This disc pre-dates the release of any discography CDs of its featured bands, so at the time of release this was a very exciting platter. Herein, we're treated to the under appreciated yet powerful modern hardcore stylings of Devoid of Faith and Drift, as well as the dark and dirty sludge riffing of Seized and the old school punch 'n kick of the almighty Los Crudos. Listen to this, read a book, donate, organize a prison break...

Listen

Seized

The idea of a guitar-less band with three bass players and an occasional violinist may reek of pretentiousness to many. But when it comes to the experimentation going on during the glorious 1990's, it isn't fair to jump so hastily to such conclusions. The line-up described above corresponds to Montreal's short-lived, yet mighty Seized. Finding information about these guys is a real futility frolic, but what is clear is that this band generated a mere nine brooding sludge dirges during the mid '90's that lull you at first, but then infect you virus-like while your guard is down. On their early tracks, which kick off the Seized Discography CD (Hater of God Records), the bass distortion is so thick, it's difficult to distinguish each musician's part. On these offerings, the band keeps its sound in the traditional sludge range, entrancing the listener with plodding, steady rhythms and ominous riffs. As the band reached its second phase, their sound adopted more progressive song structures and continued the use of their grindcore style vocals while adding a spoken dimension to them at times. The distortion on the basses is toned down a bit, revealing the interplay between them much more on these tracks. The musicians seem to have also found a new sense of liberation from the simple, 70's style rock/metal riffs, and dabble in a more expansive variety of stylistic arrangements. I wouldn't make too big a deal about the violin mentioned above; simple violin melodies are interspersed on the split LP (with Ire) tracks, but it is not central to the band's sound. I think I enjoy these later tracks better(#'s 5-9), and if you're new to Seized, I would recommend listening to the entire Discography before making up your mind about them. Is there any point to making comparisons? Pointing out the few likenesses to Man Is The Bastard is tempting, but inadequate, and all other such attempts will be similarly flaccid. So the only thing to do, is listen:

Seized "Discography CD"

Buy yourself a copy:

Ebullition