Eagle Twin and Sunn O))) as the story unfolds... or a night hosted by Southern Lords.

ascension
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

Tammy and I arrive at Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky about one hour before the doors open. First thing we notice is a sign on the door forbidding flash photography and recording equipment. This sign also states earplugs will be available at the bar. We start a tab at the bar and take in the tone of the house. We notice that there is a lot of fog lingering in the upstairs rooms from what we assume was an earlier sound check and rehersal. We explore a few more of the crevasses we had missed from our first venture to the old house.

We find cases that hold documentation about the house. It was once a mob house that was home to the inventor of the Tommy Gun.

Once the doors opened to the stage downstairs we obtained our tickets and made way to the vendor booth. There I got a neat shirt, but was disappointed because they didn't have the shirt I liked the most in my size. They unfortunately did not have Sunn O)))'s newest album "Monoliths & Dimensions" on vinyl like I hoped they would, either.

After that I stopped off at the bar and obtained a couple of sets of earplugs for us, you know, just in case.

We then went off to find our table for the rest of the evening. We found our table upstairs. It was directly in front of the stage and looked over the floor where the standing crowd would reside for the night. I personally think we had the best seat in the venue.

Eagle Twin took the stage first. They were a simple two piece band with an enormous sound. The set started off with long reverberating guitar chords similar to that of a Sunn O))) studio recording. The drummer (Tyler Smith) proceeded to enter the sonic assault with pounding drums and cymbal crashes a plenty. Next the guitarist/vocalist (Gentry Densley) began his attack with long drawn out growls that blasted through the room. The vocalists long aggressive drawls explained the self proclamation of blues in the description of their sound, as stated on their website. Each lyric seemed to invoke pain from his very soul. The band kept their energy, never loosing steam even with 10 to 15 minute long songs. We did not use our earplugs for this set, though, by the end I was regretting it a little. Through the show I had to hold onto our camera that was on the table as it kept sliding to the edge from the vibration from the sound. Remember, we were up stairs and not even on the main floor. After the band stopped I noticed I was having to speak a little louder to hear my own voice.

Between sets the crew cleaned up Eagle Twin's gear, and replaced it with Sunn O)))'s gear. The only really noticeable change in gear was the removal of the drum kit and a couple guitars that were replaced by a Moog synthesizer. A man also came on stage with what seemed to be a lot of fog juice for fog machines. The guitar tests were loud... I mean very loud. Each single instrument carrying the vibration of the entire Eagle Twin set. Then a few moments of quiet.

The lights then started to dim. A low droning chant started to creep up upon the room. The deep voice started to increase the darker the room became. The machines started to spew out clouds of fog that obscured the stage even further with an occasional hiss that went well with the chanting. This went on for what seemed like 10 to 15 minutes... long enough to totally obscure the stage before the green light came on. Once the light came on we could see a man in a hooded robe with a guitar (Stephen O’Malley). Thankfully we had the foresight to put in our earplugs prior to the first guitar chord. He created a loud roar with his guitar that shook the the very foundation of the house. The initial chords could be felt deep in my chest cavity and echoed through the rest of my body. It was like being hit with giant waves of sound. Even with earplugs the sound was louder than anything achieved during Eagle Twin's set. Leaning back on my chair it felt like a hand held massager at full strength kneading my back. The figure on stage could only be seen in faint, fading glimpses because once his shape would peek out of the fog it would become obstructed again by another obscuring cloud erupting from the fog machine. A few times he could be seen holding his guitar high into the sky like he was channeling power through the sky. After a little while the vocalization returned with another slightly visible, robed figure (Attila Csihar) on stage. The chanting begat growling, which eventually became the most inhuman screaming I have ever witnessed. Much like the guitar it would come in waves. Light deep spoken incantations would turn into vile, unholy curses that would shake the marrow in your very bones. Accompaniment from another guitarist or bassist came sometime during the performance, but I cannot place the exact moment. This other guitarist/bassist (Greg Anderson) and the keyboardist (Stephen Moore) were obscured most in the performance, but the sheer power from their accompanying instruments helped create the most massive wall of sound I ever experienced. During quiet parts of the set the keyboardists low key chiming would come through the hall in tiny echos like shards of broken glass, taunting and tickling the pain left over from the power chords and screams that still reverberated through everyones body. The show went an for at least an hour and a half... maybe even two hours. The band engulfed you in their world. They controlled you during the set, and there was no escaping. The entire set was immersive in a way I have never experienced. Haunted houses that come out around Halloween can only dream of delivering the same spine tingling experiences this band delivers. I had mentioned the inhuman nature of the vocals above briefly, but words really escape the sheer importance of the sentiment. The vocalist growled and screamed like I have never heard man or beast for almost 2 hours. I can not even imagine having the lung or vocal chord capacity of this man. With a few light changes it could be seen the the show was coming to an end. As the long attacks continued to pummel the crowd their hands reached for the sky, some trying to make the (0) logo. The final death screams and power chords slowly faded into silence and darkness. The applause roared from the audience, but a voice came over the loudspeaker barking at the audience, "Go home, you don't need a fucking encore!" The voice was right. We were exhausted and drained. I am sure the band had to be, but it is hard to tell... I am still not sure these robed figures were human. I was thankful to remove my earplugs and not be deaf. I can only define it as a religious experience where I walked away covered in sweat, lungs full of fog and normal sounds swimming in my ears like I had been underwater for hours. Thank you Sunn O)))... it was amazing.

Southgate

- Posted using Mobypicture.com

storm over monroeville... day one... the trip

storm over monroeville
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

We tried to plan for this... we really did. We booked our hotel weeks in advance; requested the required days off; we packed our luggage days in advance based on practical lists; but no amount of preparation could get us ready for the drive. We were really looking forward to the drive. It was going to be the longest trip we had taken by ourselves, and we were determined to enjoy it. One thing got in the way, though, sleep deprivation.

It is really a challenge to travel sometimes being night shift employees. We had the plan of starting the trip at 8 a.m. Friday morning. That way we would get to our room at about check in time at the hotel...3pm. We had not counted on the fact that there was no way in the world we would be able to get to sleep after work. It had been a consideration, but we thought a full belly and couple of drinks might be enough to knock us out. We were wrong. We end up staying up all night in anticipation for our journey. We get the GPS (kindly donated for the trip by my Mom) and map directions ready, pack up and move out.

Everything seems fine at first, but as we approach Columbus we run into a funeral on the interstate at a merge. Like a good motorist I pull over to let the procession pass, but when it is over I end up being stuck on the side of the road with nobody giving an inch to let me back onto the interstate... hence panic attack!

I finally calm down, but by the time I do we realize the battery life of the GPS was going to expire before we hit Columbus with no way to charge it. We get off on an exit to try to assess how we are going to proceed to our destination. Thankfully there was a Radio Shack to by a charger for the GPS. This would not have been a problem if we hadn't already deviated from the printed yahoo map in favor of the directions dictated to us by the GPS.

Well, we hook up the charger and all is well. It seemed to be working and we move onwards. After a little while we begin to notice that we are heading south again. After pulling over and investigating it turns out the GPS had re-routed us home. After re-programming the device a couple more times we finally get back on target. This little detour cost us more time than we could afford, so we kept going without stopping to eat. Man... we were irritable.

One really great thing happened on the trip there, though. As we got deep into Pennsylvania we entered a a tunnel. This tunnel was absolutely amazing, and seemed to go on for miles. After traveling through it for what seemed like 5 minutes or so I could literally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it looked like we were approaching a bridge. As we came into the light from out of the tunnel we suddenly became overwhelmed by the presence of gorgeous skyscrapers all around us. I though we would by-pass down town Pittsburgh all together, but with out warning we were given an amazing spectacle. It was absolutely amazing.

We finally made it to our rooms and were able to rest for a few minutes before we had to get to the convention. Later I will get to day one of the convention, but this is the story of the trip up. Exhausting... it taught us not to rely on a GPS as a primary source for directions, and no matter how far it will set you back on time, get a bite to eat. Lessons learned.

main entrance

main entrance
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

Dawn of the Dead is my favorite movie. It has been for over 15 years. Monroeville Mall, where it was shot, has always been my main pilgrimage destination. This weekend I was able to fulfill my dream by going to the HorrorHound weekend in Monroeville. Not only that, but I got to see the film screened AT the mall. There was an incident, and they were unable to turn out the lights, but the experience was was still really cool. I got to meet some really cool people, and had a lot of fun.

I plan to make several more posts detailing some of the events and items acquired. While the trip there and back was taxing, it was well worth it for all the new lovely experiences.

teevee.

teevee.
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

It has been a very nice couple of weeks. I got good news at the bank that could make home ownership possible within the next few months....woohoo. I was able to get a nice shiny new iMac... again, woohoo. I was able to beat Grand Theft Auto 4, and have got almost all of the xbox 360 achievements knocked out for it. I was able to get our landlady to fix our air conditioner... Giant WOOHOO. June has already brought the new season of the Venture Bros. (the first episode was phenomenal!), and will soon bring the season premiere of Weeds! All of these things are great, but the biggest event is yet to come. We are going to the HorrorHound weekend in Monroeville, PA in a couple of weeks. Yep, Monroeville, as in the home of the original Dawn of the Dead. The convention is across the street from the Monroeville Mall, where they shot Dawn of the Dead. On top of that they are screening the original Dawn of the Dead at the mall! This is like the ultimate geekgasm for me. There are going to be members from the cast there including the Krishna zombie. Plus, as if that isn't good enough, there is going to be a screening of the last movie in Argento's Three Mothers trilogy, Mother of Tears. I could not be more excited. On the bad side of things, I have been in a bit of a creative slump. I can only hope that the good things from this month can help inspire and point me in a better direction.

conjuring

conjuring
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

While watching the dvd of Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors last week I was given the gift of glitch. I do hope, though, that a good disk cleaning will let me view the whole movie. His work is very interesting and amazing. My title is influenced by the "New Backwards" album by Coil. As big of a fan as I am of all of their material, this album may be my new favorite.

new perspective

new perspective
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

A couple of weeks ago my mother asked me an interesting question. She said, "Why do you use so many different cameras, spending so much money on film and developing, instead of just getting a digital SLR?" I was able to give her several responses quickly, but my favorite reason is highlighted in this shot. It is the unpredictable nature of film processes like using expired film and cross-processing. Using film (especially toy) cameras with these and other processes can give strange, almost supernatural results. I could use Photoshop to make the colors in the trees bleed. I could even paint a skull over the head of the dancing Mayor of Mount Vernon, but to naturally capture these strange images without edits and manipulations is an indescribable rush. Don't get me wrong, I still love to manipulate photos, and plan on purchasing a dSLR in the future, but the results I get from film cameras just keep me coming back. Plus, I haven't even started experimenting with redscale yet :)