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Ufomammut, XV: 15 Years in the Cosmos

Posted in Reviews on November 13th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

ufomammut xv case

The concert DVD is about as dead as dead gets. They still make them, and they’ll continue to for some time, but with streaming on demand, YouTube, festivals live-streaming their events and so on, bands might as well put out VHS tapes and at least get some retro novelty points out of the deal. All the same, every now and again there’s a worthy occasion — in the case of Italian cosmic doomers Ufomammut, it was their 15th anniversary — and it seems prudent that some band-sanctioned document of it exist into perpetuity. Thus arrives XV: 15 Years of Ufomammut on the band’s own Supernatural Cat imprint with minimalist artwork courtesy of their visual-arts alter-ego, Malleus; a rare moment of backward reflection from an otherwise relentlessly forward-thinking trio, who have become — and I say this with as much impartiality as I can muster — one of the worldwide heavy underground’s most pivotal acts. Their two-part 2012 full-length, Oro (reviews here and here) on Neurot was really just the latest step in a groundbreaking psychedelic progression that’s been underway since they started in 1999, their releases — 2000’s Godlike Snake, 2004’s Snailking, 2005’s Lucifer Songs, 2007’s Supernaturals Record One collaboration with Lento, 2008’s Idolum, 2010’s Eve (review here) and the aforementioned Oro — serving as landmarks of each stage of their development, their continued will for experimentation and outdoing themselves unwavering across each outing. So after a decade and a half, Ufomammut wanted to take a step back and see how far they’ve come before moving ahead again with their next record? Well, that seems fair.

Ufomammut‘s late-2013/early-2014 “Magickal Mastery Tour” was something special because where the trio of guitarist/keyboardist Poia, bassist/vocalist/keyboardist Urlo and drummer Vita generally keep their focus more recent when it comes to live shows, this time they dipped all the way back to Godlike Snake and the preceding 1999 Satan demo for “Superjunkhead” and covered a little taste of everything between that and “Sulphurdew” from Oro: Opus Alter. A single set spanning a seven-album run isn’t easy to put together, particularly when Ufomammut have grown a tendency to write long-form material, but they did it and for fans, it was something apart from their own version of the “ordinary.” If you’re an ardent disbeliever in the form of concert videos, XV isn’t likely to change your mind, but it’s something the band have clearly put thought and effort into, where so many are slapped together from three-camera shoots and just sort of plopped out there like an unbaited fishhook to see which fans will bite. The feel over the course of Ufomammut‘s 80-minute set is more like a music video. They run the performance footage, captured live at SOMS “Il Progresso” in Sarezzano, Italy, by longtime engineer Lorenzo Stecconi, through a range of psychedelic effects and intersperse strange still images, all the while bouncing between more cameras than I can count, GoPros, hand-helds, and stationary. It’s a feature-length, live music video more than a concert recording. If there was an audience that night in Sarezzano, they’re never showed. Possible the band rented out the space so they, as Malleus, and Barbra Baader Meinhof could have freer access with cameras, but I don’t know that.

ufomammut

They bounce gloriously around their catalog and unsurprisingly are planetary in their heaviness throughout, but again, if you’re absolutely unable to get on board with a concert DVD, their switches between color, black and white, blurs and visual swirls are probably going to leave you cold. Wisely, and I’ll admit more intriguing to me as well, is the documentary portion of XV. in which the band (with subtitles) tell their own story and check in with those who knew or helped them at some stage or another in their career. Their story isn’t one filled with drama — Poia and Urlo played together in a band called Judy Corda that broke up, they started Ufomammut, found a killer drummer in Vita, were well received and set about growing their sound — but there is a lot of humor and charm throughout. Of particular note is when The Flyeater, who apparently handled Korg for them for two shows, makes an appearance in the same luchador mask he wore on stage, and we get to see Stecconi, who has become a big part of Ufomammut‘s sound since making his debut behind the board for them with Idolum, which the band describes as their darkest album. If this is to be their moment of reflection, they make the most of it, and it’s fascinating to hear them putting their work in context with itself, moving from one record to the next while conscious of the creativity at play. They wind up discussing Oro and then move into some of the theory behind where they are as a band, playing live — there’s some Roadburn footage in there — and developing the visual side of their approach. At the very end, we even get to hear from Lu, who contributes to Malleus but not Ufomammut proper. She speaks over psychedelic visuals and backed by airy guitars, and they finish out by thanking everyone who’s helped them along the way and showing fan footage during the credits, people from around the world extolling the virtues of the band.

Honestly, I could probably do the same, if you wanted or if I haven’t already in this review. It’s hard not to think XV as closing a chapter in Ufomammut‘s career, but the truth of the matter is each record they do does the same thing: They make an album and then move on. With a new full-length due out next year as a follow-up to this and Oro, that evolution seems to be continuing unabated, and hearing the band talk about their processes and what goes into making them who they are, I look forward even more to finding out what the next stage might hold. And as for the concert DVD being dead? Well, sometimes these dead formats have a tendency to come back to life, and just in case, having a copy of XV on hand might not be the worst idea.

Ufomammut, XV trailer

Ufomammut on Thee Facebooks

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Ufomammut Announce XV Anniversary DVD Details

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 5th, 2014 by JJ Koczan

Cosmic doom conjurers Ufomammut celebrated their 15th anniversary last fall by embarking on what they called the “Magickal Mastery Tour,” picking out material from across their catalog and giving a career-spanning set to mark the passing of time. Next month, they’ll release a new DVD, XV: 15 Years of Ufomammut, that captures that live show and includes a documentary about the trio as well. Preorders for that are up now via the band’s own Supernatural Cat in Europe and Earsplit Compound in the US (links below), but I also like the part where the PR wire informs that Ufomammut will hit the studio this month for a new album to be released next spring on Neurot.

Hugely interested to hear what Ufomammut might come up with for a new record after the two-part Oro in 2012 seemed to expand beyond any boundaries they’d previously known. Do they somehow continue to get bigger-sounding and reach farther, or somehow contract, and perhaps inspired by playing earlier material, move toward a more stripped down approach. It’s foolish to speculate one way or another, but Oro is one hell of an act to follow either way.

Info and whatnot:

UFOMAMMUT Announces Details Of Fifteen Year Anniversary DVD

Studio Time Booked For September; North American Tour Plans On The Horizon

UFOMAMMUT, Italian sorcerers of supernatural and obliterating doom, have been very busy behind the scenes following the release of their widely acclaimed ORO collection on Neurot Recordings and the Magickal Mastery Tour of 2013 and 2014, which saw them performing music from across their canon. A band constantly pushing and looking forward, while simultaneously keeping a firm eye on their history, as they continue to celebrate their fifteen years in existence, they still have much in store for their fanbase.

Since 2013, UFOMAMMUT has been working on a video project which will be released on DVD via the band’s Supernatural Cat Records this October, after all, the visual element of the band is of equal importance to their music. The DVD features over three hours of live footage — including Magickal Mastery Live, a 12 song live act — interviews, outtakes, and extras all documenting these first fifteen years of the band. Titled XV, this audiovisual experience will also be available as a special wooden 8GB USB drive.

On the subject of reaching this milestone the band commented…”ORO was a particularly ambitious album for us, and the Magickal Mastery Tour was a great chance to revisit all of our favorite songs in front of really great crowds. When we took some time to reflect on what we had accomplished we knew that the best ways to celebrate our first fifteen years, was a DVD release, something for our fans to contribute towards and to treasure. We’re excited about what the next fifteen years has in store…”

Preorders for the XV DVD have been posted. International orders can be placed via Supernatural Cat HERE and US fans can order exclusively via Earsplit Distro HERE.

In addition to this DVD release, UFOMAMMUT has confirmed that they will be heading into the studio to record their seventh studio collection this September. The new album should see the light of day in Spring 2015 via Neurot Recordings. They’ve also revealed plans to return to the USA to tour the entire country for the first time, as well as a promise of more European performances. Stay tuned for more details on all developments in the coming weeks.

The Magickal Mastery Live Running Order:
Superjunkhead
Hellcore
Oroborus
Stigma
Zerosette
Destroyer
Sublime
Eve (Pt. III & IV)
Sulphurdew
Odio
Stardog
God

http://www.ufomammut.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/UFOMAMMUT/83336386071
http://www.supernaturalcat.com
http://www.malleusdelic.com
http://www.neurotrecordings.com
https://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings

Ufomammut, XV Preview

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