H.P. Lovecraft is one weird dude. Go ahead and Google image search his name. For every menacing looking head shot of ol’ H.P. is yet another menacing looking head shot of him with monster squid tentacles emerging from the back of this head. This, of course, is the perfect source material for a brutal death metal band from Vancouver.
Auroch, a three-piece metal band who just released their debut full-length album, have chosen Lovecraft’s cosmic brand of horror stories as the inspiration for From Forgotten Worlds, featuring eight songs with titles the likes of “Talisman for Total Temporal Collapse” and “Slaves to a Flame Undying.” Yep, this is some serious shit.
“We have rather accurately captured the transcendental horror of Lovecraft in our music,” boasts Auroch vocalist/guitarist Seb Montesi. “Lyrically, it’s a mirror to reflect deeper and darker thoughts. The moilings of the abyss.”
Okay, let’s take a couple of steps back here. For those unfamiliar, brutal death metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that uses extreme sounds, imagery, and lyrics to create a kind of musical stew that conjures up all kinds of harshness. Imagine walking into a dark, dingy club with spilled beer all over the floor and everyone projectile thrashing their ass-long hair towards the stage in a headbanging salute. Then imagine Auroch up there on that stage creating a din of brutality. It’s definitely not for everybody.
“We’ve yet to encounter anyone who is not a ‘metalhead’ who criticizes our music, but I quite strongly suspect it’d be lost on them. That’s fine,” says Montesi. “Most criticism inside of metal typically comes dorks who like to masturbate subgenres. We’ve actually only felt very strong support so far. I don’t recommend anyone stand in our way.”
Inspired by the death metal greats, with such oppressive names as Deicide, Morbid Angel, Death, Cannibal Corpse, and Pestilence, the guys in Auroch managed to hook up with Polish death metal label Hellthrasher Productions for their debut album. As for the greats that influenced their sound, Montesi doesn’t hesitate to name his favourite death metal album of all time, one that also delves into the realm of the supernatural.
“Covenant by Morbid Angel, hands down,” he says. “It’s as whiplashingly fast as it is bowel-churningly slow. Thrashy at times, madness solos, and ambient at points. Perfection.”
And with the unspeakable horrors of Lovecraft always in the forefront of their minds, it would be easy to assume these guys have dealt with their own share of scary experiences over the years. Maybe some ghost sightings, or a lakeside encounter with a giant monster squid? But, when prompted for his scariest experience, Montesi comes up with an answer that’s perhaps even creepier than any sniveling, drooling creature that Lovecraft could ever dream up.
What’s the scariest thing he’s ever seen? “The future,” he deadpans. “The past.”
Auroch
Saturday, November 10
Logan’s Pub
facebook.com/aurochmetal