#Trepanation Records

[gbhbl]

Album Review: Yersin – The Scythe is Remorseless (Trepanation Records)

Yersin, a band that has built up a really strong reputation, set the heavy bar for 2024, and show just how far they’ve come since 2020’s debut Guilt.

Hailing from the desolate musical pit of Sunderland, UK, Yersin are a band that have cultivated a dedicated local following and increasing national one. Their music encapsulates elements of crust punk, Swedish D-beat, Birmingham death metal, all infused with a ferric black metal tinge, creating a raw auditory experience. Their highly anticipated second album, ‘The Scythe is Remorseless’, will be…

[doomedandstoned]

Hertfordshire Trio ORME Probe The Frightening Depths of Drone Doom on Debut LP

~Review by Billy Goate~

Artwork by Richard Stevenson

Listening to the self-titled debut by UK doom-drone trio ORME, I get the feeling that they wanted to create something truly wicked. The last time I remember feeling this way was after hearing Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails for the first time. Artistically, different works entirely; yet, perhaps not too distant spiritually.

Dismal energies permeate the 42-minute long first track, "Nazarene." As the piece opened, I felt as if I were floating in the afterbirth of Electric Wizard's "Return Trip." There is a drone here, but it flows softly beneath these dangling, spiraling shreds of cosmic psychedelia. I didn't mind it at all, because I was blazing high.

If you stare at the cover artwork by Richard Stevenson, you just might trance out to all those rich, warm colors. They seem to somehow fit Orme's tonal palette on this album. I'm unsure of the symbolism, or if that's simply Orme's logo or a cryptic titling of the album. I found myself contemplating these kinds of things as I sank into the music over time.

Snow enters the picture around 5:30 and there is static in the air. My notes get scrambled: "I feel as if this could be an alternative soundtrack for THX 1138, and I'm in a mind lock. My previous experience with Drone left me with a headache, so I'm wondering what's in store for me as the piece hisses and hums along. A bit hypnotic, but not overwhelming."

Orme by Orme

Drums jump in around the eight-minute mark, but feel somehow muted or the volume of the droning may be rising. At 10:30, frontman and guitarist Tom Clements pronounces a sermon to the sonic horde. It is a screed against Jesus Christ of Nazareth that grows more and more intense. It is pronounced with such roiling hate that I felt it right in the gut.

Disciples of the watch. I stand before you in the name of the one true God who was cast out from heaven and is alive in me. DO YOU HEAR ME?!?

The first time through it was quite shocking. In fact, I cut out midway and skipped over to the next track. I'm used to Satan being a metaphor, not the focus of fanatical devotion. Okay, let's be honest; it scared me just a bit. If I were to play this at full volume in my neighborhood, people would think the End Times were upon us for damn sure. Whether Orme is genuinely speaking blasphemies or taking on a particular perspective in pursuit of an artistic vision, well that's up to you.

At the 30 minutes, the guitar mercifully unleashes a torrent of notes, with the backing of the full drum kit and later the bass. It's like a gift, a release, a beautiful stretch of acid-soaked guitar, with a layer of fuzzy drone casting a spell of haze over the gathered masses.

I don't have to share their worldview to give the devil his due. As a piece of musical drama, it succeeds. As an art exhibit of evil, hate, and spite it is convincing.

Orme by Orme

Companion piece "Onward to Sarnath" falls in the neighborhood of Bell Witch. The bass is sedate and consoling, and it grounds us like Sarnath itself, the place tradition says Gautama Guddha delivered his first enlightened sermon.

Lyrics speak of avengers who will rise up to exact justice upon those who committed genocide against the descendants of the moon. You'll probably have to listen a couple times to get all the names and details.

Just 16-minutes into it and I'm beginning to see what people really dig about drone. The addition of the didgeridoo and various instrumental augmentation gave me a feeling of true peace by about the 19-minute mark. And at that point, Tom Clements is joined by guest performer Chea Griffin-Anker in a good round of haunting, plaintive chanting that had me thinking of Marc Urselli's Steppendoom.

The drums start getting crisper and it feels like something is really happening here, momentum is building. There is something strange and primal to these ears, perhaps sounds echoing from the dawn of man's existence. Underneath the singing, in fact, you can hear someone manically howling and I swore I heard the neighing of a horse at one point. In the remaining 20 minutes, we are absorbed into Nirvana, with a return of that blazing guitar and a final eulogy from the lips of the herald.

Orme just played Abyssal Festival in Southampton. Let's see if they find a path to Roadburn. Orme is out now on CD and cassette through Trepanation Records.

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[nofatclips]

Triptaani by Gangrened

[transingthoseformers]

Oh fuck the cops have got First Aid

[unearthedmirrors]

Concrete Winds 2023 t-shirts available at High Roller Records

[doomanddead]

Mairu’s Sol Cultus Sizzles

The dog days of summer are uncertain times. It’s hard to concentrate when Sirius rises and the world is sizzling. Even my cozy little canyon feels unnaturally humid and still. The newest offering from Liverpool quartet Mairu feels like the perfect soundtrack to get us through these torpid days. Their album Sol Cultus is packed with languorous post-metal instrumentals and slow, doomy riffs. It’s too fucking hot to mince words, so let’s get into it.

The album opens on Torch Bearer. This track toys with tension— sometimes laid back and ponderous, and sometimes taught with nervous strumming. The hammering heartbeat of the drums keeps things moving forward. The shining, ecstatic crescendo is a brain freeze in the Sahara. 

Perihelion is a pensive beast. It manages to sound simultaneously cavernous and warm. The song is grim but oddly buoyant, and makes for some damn good metal.

Still and fragile interludes like Inter Alia give the longer pieces on this album room to breathe.

The band’s 2019 single Wild Darkened Eyes sounds better than ever here. The track is furious and haunting with a groove that pounds its way to the finish. 

Drummer Ben Davis rattles our brains with a hypnotic performance on The Scattering Dust. Heavy, wandering baselines and acrid riffs give this track a perilous undertone. 

Atar is built from imposing slabs of percussion, and grouted with heaping globs of intensity. Cave-man beats lead the way; the rest of the band crashes in after, like the Kool-Aid man on roids. 

Where Atar was pounding and insistent, Rites of Ember is ethereal and melancholy. Clocking in at nearly ten and a half minutes, this behemoth moves at its own pace. Fervor creeps in like the tide until we’re up to our necks in a frothing mass. Just as we’re in danger of being overtaken, the tide turns and washes out again. 

Mairu seems right at home in the doldrums of summer, deftly manipulating tone and mood to glide through the thick atmosphere. Pick up Sol Cultus, and slip into the thrall of post-doom oblivion. 

[devilart2199-aibi]

IDW collection reading update! :D 📖 (Fixed!)

Phase 2 volume 4 done! This volume included: Monstrosity, RID issues 12-18 and MTMTE issues 14-16!

I ended up reading all the way to Phase 2 volume 6 before finishing this update so my notes are a bit scattered! Anyway! As usual my thoughts are below :3 ⤵️

Monstrosity:

This story is set in the past, when Optimus has assumed leadership on Cybertron after the senate and pervious primes were killed.

This story is, I dunno... For some reason I can't really get into these?? It feels... edgy?? Idk, I feel like that's not the best way to describe it. But there's something about the vibe with these ones in the past (like Autocracy and this one).

Of course everyone is becoming the characters we know since this is in the past. So there is going to be a lot of fumbling and growing from them and things that seem out of character. But given their situation at the time, i can't be super harsh on odd decisions.

They have to deal with the senate and their corruption, as well as that from the previous primes, the Decepticons uprising and wanting to take over, Cybertron running out of resources aaaaand I feel like something else I can't remember rn 🤔 but a lot is going on!! Haha.

There is a scene that references the OG animated movie where they toss Megatron out of Astrotrain and he goes "I still function...!" Which was a pretty cool homage tho.

But this kinda felt like a whole way to just show how badass Megs is meanwhile Optimus is going through it on Cybertron 😂 It was entertaining and interesting at parts, but some things I was 'eh' about

RID: 12-16:

Before i go on, I'm sorry, but... this Megs panel is giving me the same energy as that little alien guy that was in the news months ago 🤣 Now actually⤵️

Megatron returns!! This story was very entertaining!! I feel like I can usually guess where something is going, but I was surprised by a lot of the twists here! There was so many!

The character deaths had me shook! 😭 Wheeljack ahhhh!!! Metalhawk!! Also everything with Prowl and the Constructions! O_O;

I'm sorry Prowl 😔 I was pretty surprised when they started killing off the Decepticons at first, but then went: "Well, I guess he's being super ruthless now" I couldn't see you were brainwashed!! 😭🗿To my defense, him teaming up with Arcee and given Arcee's record, it kinda seemed like the natural progression of things lol 💀

Two things I kinda have mixed feelings about tho are:

1. Arcee just casually being part of the Decepticon gang and no one questioning her being there?? She then easily kills the guy controlling Devastator and that was like... Megatron's big plan. Why didn't she do it sooner? I imagine it was to draw out Meg's, but still it seemed weird.

2. Starscream killing Metalhawk after Metalhawk came to save Starscream. It's in his character and everything, and I'm happy that he did it bc it shows who he is. But OOF I thought he was leaning a different way for a bit and that I had Starscream wrong, But no, he's greedy boy. (I was starting to like Metalhawk T_T)

Anyway! Good guy Swindle!! 🥹

MTMTE 14-16:

💀💀💀💀💀 BIG SAD. But!!! It was a super interesting story!! I really enjoyed learning about Overlord and Chromedome.

Chromedome becoming Trepan's apprentice in the past was crazy!! :O And the whole scene with him and Prowl in Prowl's office. When Prowl asks/threatens Chromedome to go into Overlord's mind 😙👌 *chef's kiss* GET 'EM CHROMEDOME!! 💪👊🔪

The whole thing about how the Phase Sixers are made was very interesting too!! This frame ⤵️ Meg's saying this made me lmao 😂 I can now see the thing between him and Overlord better now.

As for Overlord getting out and obliterating some of the crew... ughhhhh 😭😭😭 Pipes man!! Ratchet protecting the medibay was awesome. Best doctor 🚑😌

I was shocked during the fight with Overlord that Magnus got so injured!! I've read ahead already, but I was sweating it, I thought he was gonna die too 😭😭 Overlord goes right for your spark man 💀

Luckily they got Overlord back to his containment cell, but- 😭😭😭😭 LITTLE MAN 😭😭😭 Why'd he have to hop in there to get the sword??? OTL

Then Chromedome blowing it up once the cell disengaged from the ship 😭 It was a perfectly painful sequence! 👏

When I saw the scene with Whirl and the cannon/ blaster shooting asteroids, I knew it would come around 😔

Also!! Learning that Chromedome has had other deep connections with bots (idk if Brainstorm meant Conjunx' specifically) and given them his innermost energon before and that's why he's dry!! Excuse me as I sob 🤧🤧🤧🤧😭😭😭😭 and then he makes himself forget!!! UGHH OTL My heart man!

The tape that Rewind made too!! 😭🤧

Drift taking one for the team too by getting banished 😔 he's a real one. Also pls come back.

RID 17-18:

We got more Shockwave lore here and I'm a big Shockwave enjoyer so I was very happy!! More heartache of course tho 😢

Him pitching/making the Jhiaxian academy of advanced technology is huge. Then all the experiments he did once he was turned purple 💀💀💀

Him going to Dai Atlas and injuring him before the attack on the senate so that he would escape death was a cool surprise. He's still in there ;_; ahhhh.

There is another story that happens in current time where Bee gets turned into Goldbug, but I think he's called "Goldfire" here? 🤔 He really got injured during the whole thing with Meg's so they had to fix him up with pieces of his old earth form.

It was cool to see included in the story :3

Final Random Thoughts:

This volume had a bunch of great stories in it! And I learned quite a bit about characters I like!

Though it was sad, I'd say my favorite story was the mtmte one with Overlord (The Overlord arc?). The art is always fantastic and so is the story!

I look forward to reading more and I'll be making another reading update very soon since I'm already on volume 6!

I didn't want to lump them all together bc I like using images as the story breaks and Tumblr only let's you use 10 per post 😔 Also... I ramble quite a lot haha, so 3 volumes worth would definitely be too much! 😂

Anyway! See you next time! 👋

[novafire-is-thinking]

Round One is ready!

Results will be recorded on this Google Sheet.

It is recommended that you vote on ALL of the matches, but it’s not required. If you don’t know who someone is, TFwiki is your best friend. Or you can just vote based on vibe. That works too.

This round will run for 24 hours. I will post round two the following day unless a tiebreaker is needed.

For current and future followers who want to be notified when poll updates and new rounds go live, don’t worry about getting spammed with my non-poll post and reblog notifications if you have alerts on. I found a way around it.

Cyclonus vs. Hound ✧ Dominus Ambus vs. Cerebros

Censere vs. Getaway ✧ Megatron vs. Broadside

Maccadam vs. Rung ✧ Thunderhowl vs. Predaking

Whirl vs. Kup ✧ Tracks vs. Froid

Meteorfire vs. Hubcap ✧ Tyrest vs. Alpha Trion

Flatline vs. Blurr ✧ Topspin vs. Misfire

Dai Atlas vs. Dinobot ✧ Ratchet vs. Grimlock

Rodimus Prime vs. Hook ✧ Cheetor vs. Pharma

Star Saber vs. Hardhead ✧ Thrust vs. Smokescreen

Blackout vs. Heatwave ✧ Hardshell vs. Slingshot

Vos vs. Wasp ✧ Chase vs. Helex

Knockout vs. Silverbolt ✧ Powerglide vs. Grapple

Nemesis Prime vs. Optimus Primal ✧ Drift vs. Skyquake

High Tide vs. Beachcomber ✧ Motormaster vs. Rampage

Fireflight vs. Fracas ✧ Doubledealer vs. Quickstrike

Huffer vs. Breakdown ✧ Ten vs. Tarn

Snarl vs. Boulder ✧ Shockwave vs. Sentinel Prime

Cosmos vs. Sunstorm ✧ Crankcase vs. Trepan

Bluestreak vs. Windcharger ✧ Scrapper vs. Skids

Long Haul vs. Ambulon ✧ Dreadwing vs. Soundblaster

Optimus Prime vs. Riptide ✧ Soundwave vs. Cliffjumper

Metroplex vs. Bonecrusher ✧ Sideswipe vs. Barricade

Depth Charge vs. Brimstone ✧ Offroad vs. Ultra Magnus

Scavenger vs. Rattrap ✧ Starscream vs. Afterburner

Rewind vs. Brawl ✧ Hot Shot vs. Tesarus

Wheeljack vs. Blades ✧ Thunderclash vs. Kaon

Astrotrain vs. Wildrider ✧ Blaster vs. Lockdown

Fulcrum vs. Swoop ✧ Blitzwing vs. Dead End

Warpath vs. First Aid ✧ Perceptor vs. Ramjet

Mirage vs. Bumblebee ✧ Chromedome vs. Sunstreaker

Tailgate vs. Overlord ✧ Jazz vs. Sludge

Prowl vs. Slug ✧ Swerve vs. Brawn

Deathsaurus vs. Springer ✧ Skyfire vs. Sunder

Air Raid vs. Spinister ✧ Terrorsaur vs. Bulkhead

Seaspray vs. Kickback ✧ Guzzle vs. Runamuck

Tarantulas vs. Trailbreaker ✧ Rhinox vs. Ferak

Red Alert vs. Thundercracker ✧ Fortress Maximus vs. Lugnut

Impactor vs. Dirge ✧ Wing vs. Mixmaster

Brainstorm vs. Skydive ✧ Nightbeat vs. Inferno

Gears vs. Hoist ✧ Runabout vs. Drag Strip

Sky-Byte vs. Scorponok ✧ Swindle vs. Tigatron

[atamascolily]

Those of you who have read my ridiculously long Homura essay will already be familiar (heh) with my argument for why the missing Clara Doll "Ai" is actually Homura, so I'm not going to rehash those arguments here, but I did find some more evidence while combing through the Rebellion Production Note that is worth taking into account.

(CW: discussion and imagery of self-inflicted surgical procedures and suicide.)

This drawing shows the original 14 Clara Dolls with Homura in her "orphaned Victorian waif" outfit right in the center. This in itself proves nothing, but it's interesting that she's right where #15 would be, if #15 was present, and that her face is drawn as a blank. This same juxtaposition happens elsewhere in the Rebellion Production Note--sometimes with a clearly delineated "Ai" figure, sometimes with a clearly delineated "Homura" and sometimes with a more ambiguous figure, thus blurring the lines between them

Here's a close-up shot of a clearly delineated "Ai" figure. Unlike the equivalent shot in the final film, this image is large enough that we can see that she comes with an accessory: a hand drill. And what do you think she uses it for?

Trepanning is a surgical procedure that literally drills a hole in the skull, usually for the purpose of "letting bad spirits out", i.e., a crude form of mental health treatment. The metaphor in context of Rebellion is obvious, so I won't belabor it, except to say that we see both Ai's outfit and her drill again and again in these production notes... with Homura.

This drawing is different from the version that made it into the final film, but note that this is very clearly Homura, right down to the cobweb tears under her eyes (which are red in the film version), actively drilling a hole for trepanning with the hand drill.

In addition to being drawn with the classic "Clara Doll eyes"--again cementing the fact that Homura perceives herself as yet another Clara Doll, at least in this particular context--she is clutching a plushie of Madoka. Compare this to other drawings in the notes:

Here we have a proto-Homulilly, clutching Madoka to her via some kind of shadowy tentacle things (?) while Madokami (Madoka as the Law of Cycles) looks on. Once again, Madoka is an object of comfort to Homura, albeit represented in a more mature form.

These same motifs appear in both of these images, except that the Clara Dolls are now the ones connected to Homura via these long shadowy tentacles, and in the drawing on the right, Homura is separated from Madoka and reaching for the "angel" on top of the Christmas tree instead of actively holding onto her the way she is on the left. Note also that Homura appears more as the Devil than the witch in the left drawing, and that her white veil is reminiscent of a wedding veil. This is evocative of her pulling Madoka the human (and in this case, the magical girl) out of the Law of Cycles, just as she does in Rebellion.

(For what it's worth, Homura attached to the Clara Dolls didn't make it into the film, but it does appear in the concept movie trailer and her doppel form in Magia Record.)

But anyway, back to Ai and trepanning! Here's another sketch of Homura wearing the same outfit as "Ai" and again paired with her signature drill, although this time only the handle is visible:

Homura's eyes are rounder here and lack the distinctive uncanny valley Clara Doll look, but as a general rule, Inu Curry seems to really enjoy representing her with them:

Ultimately, the trepanning drill is not present in the final version of Homura's confrontation with Kyubey in the dollhouse, but it does appear in at least one place during the tunnel sequence, where it is shown boring into the heads of two identical Clara Doll heads devoid of any distinguishing feature. I guess SHAFT ultimately decided it would be too obvious anywhere else, although I'm not sure why--they certainly didn't have a problem with Homura shooting herself in the head, so the blood and violence wasn't the problem here. Most likely they thought it was redundant to have two different head wounds in the same movie, IDK.

Granted, all of this material I've presented here is supplementary to Rebellion and may represented preliminary ideas that ultimately weren't realized in the final product... but given that "Ai"'s name and existence is known only through supplementary material to begin with, I think it's fair to take it into consideration when drawing conclusions about her. However, I think there's no question that regardless of your interpretation of the finished film, it's abundantly clear that Inu Curry was thinking of Homura as Ai (and vice versa) during the design process; otherwise, there would be no reason for all the symbolic overlap.

TL;DR: Rebellion is incredibly ambiguous and open to multiple different and frequently contradictory interpretations, so believe whatever you want to believe about Ai. That said, based on all of the evidence I've outlined above, "Ai" likely represents the Homura we see in Rebellion and thus is unlikely to appear as a separate entity; anyone who expects her to turn up in a different form in future installments will be most likely be disappointed.

[seven-meds]

why would you like to be trepanned? what kinds of things would happen to your brain/existance? like what are the effects? not trying to be mean just generally curious.

Nothing will happen. The only medically significant use for trepanation (now referred to as a "craniotomy") is releasing large amounts of cranial pressure, such as in the case of a brain bleed or CSF leak. The Beckley Foundation, perhaps the only institution seriously seeking other medically relevant uses for the procedure, has had little success beyond a small 2007 study suggesting that it may slow age-related cognitive decline. Trepanation will not lead to any reduction in symptoms of things like depression, psychosis, chronic migraines/cluster headaches, or perpetual dissatisfaction with life.

What you will get is: the intimacy of having a hole drilled in your skull. Becoming opened and exposed in a new way, forever. Possibly a feeling of ascension or elation, or the sensation that your brain is able to consume more voraciously or has become capable of sight.

This is information gleaned from the recorded experiences of those who have been trepanned voluntarily. If you don't consider the benefits of trepanation valuable then it may seem like a strange desire, but it's simply a change being made to a body, and, to a degree, its consciousness.

[withoutalice]

Hey, don't tag your +18/nsfw/erotic stuff as maccadam, tag it as valveplug Only (about that drawing of trepan fucking overlord)

That way people who don't want to see +18 stuff can filter it effectively and viceversa, when people want to see +18 stuff they can find it

I will tag it but for the record it's a size diff comparison that's supposed to be suggestive. that's why I tagged it suggestive and not valveplug bc it's not. respectfully. he's not fucking him. my apologies though anon.

[gbhbl]

Album Review: Upcdownc – Duel (Trepanation Records / Forbidden Place Records)

Upcdownc continue to prove that their music is necessary listening.

Duel is the new album from progressive, sludge, instrumental noise outfit Upcdownc, released on 24th February on Trepanation Records and Forbidden Place Records.     Twenty-three years of existence hasn’t dampened Upcdownc’s impact and three years after the release of their last album, Score, they return with another strong and memorable effort. Touching the soul from the start with the opening…

[miss-anthropyxx]

anyone else kinda wanna try out some self-trepanation when they think about the formidable likelihood that they're being recorded in some capacity whenever they leave their house

[transingthoseformers]

OverpanKid!OP anon

Sentinel and Blackarachnia would have interesting reactions.

If Overpan figured out what happened on Aracha-7, Sentinel would be in deep slag. Thankfully, while they don't see eye to eye, Optimus doesn't want Sentinel dead, so while his parents are tearing into Ultra Magnus (not literally but the little twitches in Trepan's digits and Overlord's glare say other wise, though they can't act on it. While they are of neutral alliance and can't be prosecuted, Optimus isn't and they wouldn't put it past the Council prosecuting their son for their actions) Optimus pulls Sentinel over to the side like;

"Hey, I think we need to have a chat and bury a few hatchets before you get buried by them."

They have a long overdue conversation and who knew that the threat of your old pal's parents ripping you to shreds would be the key to healthy communication? There's still a long way to go for them but they've made up for now. Though upon learning Trepan - a mech with a very explicit reputation - was an Autobot, makes Sentinel a bit curious. He's been under the impression that their faction can do no wrong, but realizing this mech as committed atrocities that have been struck from the records, makes him wonder what else they've been hiding. (I like to believe that Sentinel genuinely believes in the Autobot cause, but he's so young and fully indoctrinated with the the wool pulled securely over his eyes, he's ignorant of the darker side of the Autobots. Trepan showing up is his glimpse behind the curtain. I don't hate Sentinel, he's a jerk and needs to learn his lesson, but I think he can be redeemed.)

Blackarachnia on the other hand, well, her mental state isn't the best, so she's probably gonna end up extremely conflicted once she learns that sweet, goody-two-shoes, Optimus is the son of two of the most terrifying mechs in the universe.

I'm sure I can figure out some way to reunite these three again. Sentinel's got a good start but Blackarachnia is gonna be tough.

Makes perfect sense, it's totally TFA Autobot of the autobots™️ to blame whatever Overlord and Trepan do currently on Optimus

Nice to see Optimus and Sentinel work something out... Even if it's under threat of two of the most terrifying mecha in the galaxy who just happen to be your friend turned rival's parents. Sentinel had to have been terrified lol

And you're right about Sentinel. He does honestly believe everything autobot wholeheartedly, especially after Archa Seven. This being a turning point in that could have interesting interesting results, especially as you put it tfa Sentinel imo too can be redeemed with careful work.

Yeahh BlackArachnia already had several reasons to be wary, but she's going to be Extra reevaluating her interactions with him after learning of his past before the academy. Though, considering their interactions in canon I think BlackArachnia is severely tempted to accept his help (at least that was the tone I saw in the show, with the whole tragedy angle— especially in the episode where she was working with meltdown and meltdown double crossed her) and considering bw BlackArachnia I feel like we'd definitely see her go through a redemption arc of her own (thought I don't see her becoming an autobot again. I've thought before about her declaring as neutral before though...) Her learning about Trepan and the worse sides of the autobots cannot help her opinions on them.

[proteus-no]

Several people were interested in my rant about leprosy from the middle ages, as the Victorian made up a bunch of stuff which is just considered fact now. Here's my autistic rambling about what life was like for lepers during the middle ages (warning: I am not a historian, or an expert on the subject.)

Transcription under cut

[AUDIO TRANSCRIPTION: The idea that lepers were outcasts who were banished from society, and were considered dirty, contagious, and sinful was a myth perpetuated by Victorian scholars, who based their findings on the bible rather than historical records from the time period between 500AD to 1400AD, which was considered the middle ages or the medieval period, and revised history through their retellings by putting that bullshit information in textbooks.

This is a time range that spans from the fall of Roman empire, all the way to the Renaissance, that's almost 1,000 years, all this may not be entirely accurate for the entire period of the medieval ages in Britannia, though archeologist have discovered the most evidence of these practices from about 900AD to 1400AD, the latter half of the medieval ages.

Lepers, to begin with, weren't even infected with mycobacterium leprae half of the time. Lepers, at the time, were considered anyone who had any number of skin conditions that were considered incurable at the time, including vitiligo, psoriasis, and cystic acne, and were kept in these church run care homes on the edges of cities.

That was because the beauty of nature was considered therapeutic to their wellbeing, to ease their pain. So was having them care for garden, cleaning their clothes twice a week, bathing regularly, which was about once a week for them, and eating a varied sanguine diet. Because it was seen that leprosy was caused by an excess of black bile, so eating a sanguine diet would balance out the biles.

Lepers had a wide, wide range in diet compared to peasants who lived in the surrounding areas, as they grew their own food and did not have to give that food as tithe to land owners (since the church owned the care homes).

In fact, lepers were not reviled by the church at all, nor were they seen as inherently sinful, and doomed to spend an eternity in hell once they passed away. The church often viewed lepers as bearing the suffering of Christ and already in purgatory, so they would go to heaven immediately when they would die instead of waiting in purgatory.

Lepers also weren't banished from society. Lepers regularly mingled with society. They went into nearby cities to beg for alms, to raise funds for the care home, and trade the good they had crafted in the care homes, often things like wine, cheese, leather goods, wood goods. On top of this, lepers were allowed visitors inside the care home, and were even allowed to go home and visit their families, because the lepers were not forced into the care homes most of the time. Most of the lepers went to the care homes voluntarily to receive medical care, and to live in an environment that would ease their suffering and pain, especially for the ones who were actually infected with leprosy.

Leprosy at the time, as I mentioned earlier, was thought to have been caused by an excess of black bile. So other than eating a sanguine diet, and trying to combat with the hot-wet that is sanguine, other treatments included trepanning, which was used kind of how we use ibuprofen now, we use it to cure everything. If you don't know what trepanning is that's drilling a hole into the skull to relieve pressure. Also, another really common treatment was regular bloodletting, so you could physically get the melancholic bile out of you.

Some other treatments included bathing in a bath medicated with the blood of an infant or virgin (since their pure blood would be absorbed in to the body and replace the impure, infected blood inside the leper), injecting the oil from the seed of the chalmoogra tree, castration. And my personal favorite is Earth bathing, which is they get put in a hole in the ground, and then that hole is filled up with dirt, with their head above it. And similar to bathing in the blood of infants or virgins, it would be seen as the Earth sucking out the impurity from them.

Sadly, these care homes were destroyed across Britannia from 1536 to 1541, which is when King Henry the VIII ordered the dissolution of monasteries, priories, convents, and friaries, or any church funded building, which unfortunately included care homes. And often the lepers were caught in the cross fire and were killed inside of the care homes, which is how we know they existed to begin with. /END TRANSCRIPTION.]

[doomanddead]

Embrace the Unexpected with The Medea Project’s ‘Reflections’

The Medea Project is an anomaly. For 20 years the band has resisted conforming to any one style. Black metal growls, sweeping gothic interludes, raspy crust punk edges, and walls of doomed distortion are equally at home in a Medea Project composition. For a band with a reputation for dynamic songwriting, maybe the most dissident move of all is to come out with an EP full of covers. Strap in with me and expect the unexpected as we explore the band’s latest offering, Reflections. 

Reflections by The Medea Project

The first track, The Ghosts of St Augustines MMXXII, is a wrathful rendition of a track from the band’s first album. The piece takes its name from an old psychiatric hospital in Kent. This song has the same character as the original, but boasts many subtle refinements. New guitar runs swoop and dive over the plodding rhythm, adding new texture and depth to an already-intense offering. Brett Minnie’s vocals are as dark and brutal as ever, invoking the multitude of spirits that struggled in the place. Pauline Silver raises the dead with drum work that’s even tighter and more vivid than the previous iteration.

Next up is the band’s rendition of Venom’s 1984 single, Warhead. It’s everything I could want from a Venom cover: a sneering, devilish jam that’s been rolling in its own filth. If this one doesn’t get you foaming at the mouth, then nothing will. The Medea Project expands on the original, rocketing up tension with a slow build. Sections of growled vocals smear things oily and black. This track is a caged tiger—muscular, on edge, and ready to rip into you the moment you look away. 10/10.

The Ghosts of St Augustine (Video Edit) is a more radical reconfiguration of the track. This one has been hacked apart and sewn back together to create a whole new unholy abomination over two minutes shorter than its predecessor. Sometimes you have to break things down in order to build them back up anew. This is necromancy at its finest. 

Next the duo tackles Cain, a song penned by Swedish goth metal act Tiamat. It’s an eccentric and totally unexpected re-imagining. The romance and woe of the original are traded in for a hearty helping of avant-garde grit and desperation. The drums set the pace of this dour slog, while the vocals play up tortured content of the lyrics. It’s the kind of unique angle that could only come from The Medea Project. 

The EP closes on a cover of Motörhead’s Nightmare/The Dreamtime, and boy is it a doozy! The Medea Project’s version plays up the slinky qualities of the song, dressing this devil as a seductive and creeping gothic ballad. The guitar lingers on the scene with a desert twang, hissing doom metal into your ear. Where Lemmy was all gravel and tar, The Medea Project is velvet, smoke, and poisoned drinks. This version of Nightmare/The Dreamtime is entirely novel, and every bit as dangerous. 

The songs on Reflections are unyieldingly bohemian deviations… exactly what makes a cover worth listening to. The EP is available now on Bandcamp, or wherever you buy music.