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The Obelisk Questionnaire: Scott Simpson of Hemlock Branch & Opium Doom Cult

Posted in Questionnaire on March 8th, 2022 by JJ Koczan

Scott Simpson of Hemlock Branch (Photo by Nikita Gross)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Scott Simpson of Hemlock Branch & Opium Doom Cult (Ex-Beneath Oblivion)

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

What I do now, is Hemlock Branch, which could most accurately be defined as gothic rock, or doomgaze, maybe? We don’t really think about what direction we’re trying to take, or what our songs will sound like, or where we fit. We just write music we like, and it has many broad, and probably unexpected influences. That includes all things dark, hypnotic, and introspective; so then you add amps! I came to this point through years of playing sludge and funeral doom music that consisted of 20-minute songs, but started learning to be a better singer over the pandemic, writing two-minute songs instead, and jamming with this crew of awesome people I’m proud to call my bandmates.

Describe your first musical memory.

Hmm. Probably making my own Halloween tapes in real early childhood, but also my mother’s Rolling Stones records, then later discovering her Steppenwolf and Cream albums, and so on…

Describe your best musical memory to date.

A lot of the cool musical milestones I made when Beneath Oblivion was active. There were many good ones, but a memory that sticks with me was a fairly dismal show in Salem, MA, when Jeff Hayward from Grief was in attendance, dooming the fuck out to our set, then drinking with us till closing time afterwards… I’ve got lots of good Wino memories, but those are probably too wild to talk about.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

When Beneath Oblivion was robbed in Little Rock, years ago. Eventually, most of everything was returned through our L.R. friends/bands/music community, who I’m ever-grateful for; but the act of being ripped off changed the way I felt about everything and still gives me PTSD.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

New genres, new approaches, new risks, while refining what you already have been doing.

How do you define success?

Lots of money. Gluttony; I’m talking like one of those chocolate fountain deals used for wedding receptions, but filled with Cincinnati-style chili, and a massive cheese coney buffet after every show. And having people to do all of my hard work for me.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

I saw a homeless person taking a shit by the side of the road on my way home from work. I could’ve done without that.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

Soundtrack music!

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I’d say therapy, catharsis, expression, and feeling good all seem to fit under one tent, and that’s what purpose art serves to me… But it is also for protest, for bringing attention to issues, testing boundaries of standards and taste. Art is subjective and that’s what is beautiful about it.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

I [recently] receive[d] my graduate certificate in Historic Preservation. In 2022, I’ll have more architectural journalism pieces published, as well as a video documentary about modernism and preservation in Cincinnati through Modernnati.com. Though, all I can really think about is any day now, hearing a complete master by Doug White of the Hemlock Branch debut. He mastered two Beneath Oblivion records, and has a great ear so I’m looking forward to hearing what he does with this one. Also a new Opium Doom Cult record is on the way. Anyone who liked the 2020 release will love the new one.

https://www.facebook.com/hemlockbranch/
https://www.instagram.com/hemlock_branch_/
https://hemlockbranch.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/opiumdoomcult
http://www.opiumdoomcult.com/
https://opiumdoomcult.bandcamp.com/

Hemlock Branch, “Fortuna” (demo)

Opium Doom Cult, Tremors to Signal the End (2020)

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Review & Track Premiere: Beneath Oblivion, The Wayward and the Lost

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on January 29th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

beneath-oblivion-the-wayward-and-the-lost

[Click play above to stream ‘Satyr’ from Beneath Oblivion’s The Wayward and the Lost. Album is out March 27 on Weird Truth Productions.]

The sludge that Beneath Oblivion elicit is nothing less than a destructive force. While the Midwest and particularly Ohio is known for the unhinged, pill-added fuckall proffered by the likes of Fistula and their many offshoots and related outfits, 2018 marks a decade and a half of the Cincinnati-based troupe’s onslaught, and they celebrate with the issue through Japanese imprint Weird Truth Productions of their first full-length in seven years. Last heard from with 2011’s From Man to Dust, the woeful foursome return to apply roughly that same ethic to the five-track/64-minute churn of The Wayward and the Lost. It lurches. It crushes. It creates a sonic and emotional miasma from which it feels like there’s no escape.

Its depression runs deep through extended tracks like opener “The City (My Mausoleum)” (15:12) and “The Liar’s Cross” (13:47), and is immersive in its atmospheric punishment as founding guitarist/vocalist Scott Simpson leads the way through the molasses trudge. Granted, it’s been over half a decade, so one shouldn’t necessarily be surprised at some measure of stylistic shift, but Beneath Oblivion‘s approach on the whole throughout The Wayward and the Lost is more atmospheric than either of its two predecessors, From Man to Dust or 2006’s Existence Without Purpose, both of which were released through The Mylene Sheath and had more of a post-hardcore spirit than shown in the droning extremity of The Wayward and the Lost even in its shortest track, the penultimate “Savior-Nemesis-Redeemer” (7:21), which precedes ultra-lurching closer “Satyr” itself an all-consuming 16:20 of aural quicksand. Revelry in brutality; brutality in excess.

Taken in the context of the recent triumph of darkness that was Bell Witch‘s 2017 offering, Mirror Reaper, it’s perhaps not surprising to learn that The Wayward and the Lost was also helmed by Billy Anderson (Acid KingNeurosis, etc.), as its blend of claustrophobic tonality from Simpson and Allen Scott — who also adds to the liberal amount of drones and noise included throughout these tracks — though the bulk of the basic material seems to have been put to tape in 2015 by SimpsonScott, bassist Keith Messerle and drummer Nate Bidwell with further grim flourish added after the fact.

beneath oblivion and billy anderson

One can hear the effects of that as drones and echoes fill out the reaches of the otherwise minimalist, extreme and excruciating “Satyr” at the album’s finish, but from “The City (My Mausoleum),” which opens with a deceptive innocent melancholy of guitar and eerie cymbal wash, the threat of violence is never completely absent. Unlike most of The Wayward and the Lost, “The City (My Mausoleum)” in its early going feels specifically indebted to Neurosis via YOB, but by the time Beneath Oblivion build into their first slow-motion rollout and engulfing, nod-topping screams, their course through sludge-laden cruelty seems set, and while their approach is by no means unipolar — that is, the screams and growls and lumber and pummel dissipate in favor of trades into sparse lines of guitar, swells of volume emerging in a dynamic back and forth interplay — they’ve already somewhat subtly begun the work that will continue throughout the subsequent tracks.

Now, it’s important to keep in mind that, as regards subtlety and Beneath Oblivion, it’s probably not the first word that’s going to come to mind, what with the unmanageable 64 minutes of punishment that The Wayward and the Lost carries across with such ferocity and patience, but as grueling and intense as these songs can be, there’s a sense of exploration within them as well. That comes through in the pre-midsection of “The Liar’s Cross” and in the rolling “Savior-Nemesis-Redeemer,” which might be the most straightforward inclusion here from Beneath Oblivion by whatever standard one might want to apply. Again, all things are relative. The impulse with a band like Beneath Oblivion is to cast them as misanthropes, as a kind of four-man counterculture working against the norms of songcraft and accessibility.

Well, I’m perfectly willing to grant that The Wayward and the Lost is about as audience-friendly as a carpenter’s nail through the skull when taken front to back, but to separate the group from what it is to be human and especially what it is to be human in the varied age of wonders and horrors in which we live cheats the band of perhaps one of the most crucial elements of their expression. A group doesn’t just come back after seven years and put out a record if they don’t have something do say, and with the stated theme of addiction, The Wayward and the Lost explores a pivotal aspect of this moment, but even if one wants to take it on a less analytical, more impressionistic level, it shows us the depths to which our minds can go that more often than not we’re more afraid to plunder. The growth the band has undertaken that has allowed them to do so is no less evident than the volume of their delivery, and in Beneath Oblivion‘s maturity there is a focus of intent that belies the album’s title. We may be wayward, lost, but the band has every idea of how they want to represent that, and in their success, they cast depths and spaces the harshness of which reflects our own cruelties and apathy back at us.

Beneath Oblivion on Thee Facebooks

Beneath Oblivion on Twitter

Beneath Oblivion on Instagram

Beneath Oblivion on Bandcamp

Beneath Oblivion website

Weird Truth Productions website

Weird Truth Productions on Thee Facebooks

Weird Truth Productions on Twitter

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Midnite Communion III: Midnight Masquerade Dates and Lineup Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 14th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

floating heads

Seems a little strange that Midnite Collective‘s Midnite Communion III: Midnite Masquerade fest this Nov. will take place in Long Beach, California, which is kind of the place on earth with the nicest weather ever, but if there was a lineup to darken a sky, this would seem to be it. The lineup boasts the likes of Buried at Sea, Morne, Church, Unearthly Trance, Beneath Oblivion and others, and the uniting factor seems to be an extremity of sludge and doom. Not sure what the Empire Ballroom of The Breakers in Long Beach is like, but the atmosphere will likely darken with an art show and the onslaught of distortion and volume.

Dig it if you dare:

midnite communion iii midnite masquerade

MIDNITE COMMUNION III: MIDNITE MASQUERADE Reveals 2015 Dates & Lineup

Upon this third-annual celebration of dark arts, crafts, and music, Midnite Collective has gathered seven artists from around the world, eight bands from the far reaches of North America, and with the help of Below (a curator of all things beautifully gloomy) brought together a gifted group to fill our Craft Gala*. Now spanning two evenings, Communion III: Midnite Masquerade will host an elegant mass on Friday, November 13th to continue the evening of Saturday, November 14th within the Empire Ballroom of The Breakers in Long Beach.

Midnite Collective’s Announcement & Invitation follows…

It is our esteemed privilege to present:

COMMUNION III:
“MIDNITE MASQUERADE”
Curated by Midnite Collective

with Live Performances from

NOVEMBER 13th
MORNE · BURIED AT SEA · DOPETHRONE · CHURCH

NOVEMBER 14th
UNEARTHLY TRANCE · BRAINOIL · FÓRN · BENEATH OBLIVION

Featuring Original Artwork by

Brandon Holt
Glyn Smyth
Sin-Eater
Rotten Fantom
Jason Barnett
Førtifem
& Photo Narrative by
Steph Cammarano

With surprises still to come..

Please Note: Capacity is extremely limited in this unique venue, creating an intimate environment to experience this ceremony. Thus, there will be no door sales once reservations sell out online.
All attendees must be over 21 and no regrets will be issued.

* Craft Gala is on Saturday only with full art exhibit free of charge; this portion of the event is all-ages and has extended hours beginning at 4pm until 10pm in a room apart from the musical portion of the evening.

Tickets are on sale now RIGHT HERE.

LINKS:
facebook.com/midnitecollective
twitter.com/midnitemasses

Atriarch, Live at Midnite Communion II

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Beneath Oblivion Announce May Tour Dates

Posted in Whathaveyou on April 21st, 2015 by JJ Koczan

beneath oblivion tour banner

Ohio sludgers Beneath Oblivion have an assortment of releases planned for the rest of 2015, including splits with Fister and Before the Eyewall, a new LP to be recorded in the Fall with none other than Billy (frickin’) Anderson and, to coincide with their upcoming round of tour dates next month, a two-song tape limited to a scant, probably-already-accounted-for 50 copies, self-recorded and probably unlikely to see repress. Sounds like a good time to me. The tour is 19 dates, so it’s hard to imagine they’ll return with any tapes left, and not that their omega-toned extremity really needs much of a sell other than its own viciousness, but a new tape never hurt anybody either.

The band sent the following dates and info down the PR wire, so have at it:

beneath oblivion tour poster

Cincinnati, Ohio’s longtime amp wielders Beneath Oblivion are set to embark on a 19-date tour in less than 2 weeks from now. Everything in their path along the Eastern Seaboard will be crushed with the band’s unique blend of sludge and funeral doom.

Beneath Oblivion has been described as a lurching, bleak soul searching type of experience that carries many of the old-school doom elements combined with extreme metal and punk, but with a fresh spin that thinks outside of the box. A behemoth of screechy and sometimes guttural vocals, massive guitars, pounding drums, and sludgy bass. Formed in 2003 and going strong. Beneath Oblivion are a rust belt doom band in the truest sense.

For this tour only, the band DIY recorded two songs for a release limited to only 50 cassettes which can’t be purchased anywhere other than one of these shows. In the next couple months Pirate Ship Records will be releasing a split 7″ with St. Louis sludge trio, Fister, a 10″ split with Before the Eyewall will come this summer, and Beneath Oblivion has plans to record a new full-length LP with Billy Anderson in the Autumn of this year.

Tour Dates:
05/04 – Cincinnati, OH – Rake’s End
05/05 – Pittsburgh, PA – the Smiling Moose
05/06 – Brooklyn, NY – The Acheron
05/07 – Worcester, MA – Ralph’s
05/08 – Boston, MA – O’Briens
05/09 – Salem, MA – Koto Lounge
05/10 – Portland, ME – Geno’s
05/11 – Burlington, VT – Nectars
05/12 – Wallingford, CT – Cherry Street Station
05/13 – Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie
05/14 – Washington, DC – The Pinch
05/15 – Charlotte, NC – The Milestone
05/16 – Jacksonville, FL – Rain Dogs
05/17 – Gainesville, FL – 1982 Bar
05/18 – Valdosta, GA – Ashley Street Station
05/19 – Atlanta, GA – Atlanta Death Fest
05/20 – Raleigh, NC – Slim’s Downtown
05/21 – Richmond, VA – 25 Watt

https://www.facebook.com/BeneathOblivion
http://www.beneathoblivion.info/
https://twitter.com/BeneathOblivion
https://beneathoblivion.bandcamp.com/

Beneath Oblivion, From Man to Dust (2011)

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Beneath Oblivion Touring the Midwest Starting this Week

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

beneath oblivion

Ohio crushers Beneath Oblivion will start a 10-date run this week in St. Louis, Missouri, that will carry them around the Midwest in support of 2011’s From Man to Dust full-length. The brutal sludge/doom outfit are slated to have a follow-up to From Man to Dust out in 2015, and they have other vinyl coming through The Mylene Sheath as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they hit on some new material at the shows, at which they’ll also be debuting the fruit of their alliance with Omega, a custom speaker cabinet maker based out of the band’s hometown of Cincinnati.

The PR wire takes it from here:

beneath-oblivion-tour-poster

BENEATH OBLIVION are on tour in the Midwest USA, set to release new vinyl with the Mylene Sheath, and announce endorsement with Omega Enclosures.

Cincinnati, OH based doom metal band BENEATH OBLIVION are heading out for a string of dates in the Midwest this week-

November 7 – St. Louis, MO @ the Firebird w/FISTER
November 8 – Kansas City, MO @ Vandals
November 9 – Denver, CO @ The Mutiny Information Cafe
November 10 – Santa Fe, NM @ the Underground
November 11 – Lubbock, TX @ Depot Obar Live
November 12 – Dallas, TX @ RBC Speakeasy
November 13 – Texarkana, TX @ the Silver Dollar
November 14 – Little Rock, AR @ MF Metal Music Light w/FISTER
November 15 – Nashville, TN @ Tower II w/FISTER
November 16 – Louisville, KY @ Magbar w/FISTER

BENEATH OBLIVION are gearing up for several vinyl/digital releases once again with their longtime independent label the Mylene Sheath. The band has three previous releases with the Mylene Sheath, the last being the massive 2XLP “From Man to Dust” from 2011. A new track, “Savior Nemesis Redeemer” is set to premiere online shortly, with further announcements, release dates, and artwork to follow.

BENEATH OBLIVION announces endorsement with OMEGA speaker enclosures, “Powered by” OMEGA specializes in custom cabinets for bass and guitar. The band will be rolling out custom cabinets made as a collaboration between them and the Omega engineers to bring yet an even bigger, better sonic assault through cabinets made specifically to handle the crushing doom sound by a small Cincy, OH based boutique cabinet company.
www.poweredbyomega.com

for more information on BENEATH OBLIVION please visit:
www.beneathoblivion.info
http://beneathoblivion.bandcamp.com/
www.mylenesheath.com
http://www.facebook.com/BeneathOblivion
https://twitter.com/BeneathOblivion
www.pinterest.com/beneathoblivion
http://www.reverbnation.com/beneathoblivion

Beneath Oblivion, 2014 Tour Teaser

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Beneath Oblivion Post Trailer for New Album

Posted in Bootleg Theater on August 9th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

The new full-length from Cincinnati doomers Beneath Oblivion is called From Man to Dust (out Sept. 27), and if you think the title sounds crushing, you should get a load of the trailer for the record they just posted. Gurgle gurgle.

Dig it and some choice selections off the PR wire:

The album was recorded during a sweltering heat wave in a massive, formerly abandoned warehouse in Cincinnati, OH, by Andy Perkins, with samples, mixing and additional tracking done at his own Perkins Ranch in Erlanger, KY. The natural reverb from the multitude of room microphones in the gargantuan space further conveys the ambitious grandeur of the record. After the mixing of the album was completed, the whole thing was sent off to the legendary engineer/producer Billy Anderson to master (Neurosis, High on Fire, Melvins), the resulting sound confidently captures the devastating nature of the material itself.

Artwork design for the album was handled by the band’s own Allen Lee Scott with layout duties taken care of by N. Shumaker / Northerlightsindustries.com. The vinyl version of the 80-minute epic will be a 2xLP on colored vinyl with heavy, thick gatefold jackets containing spot gloss and a lyrics insert. The CD will come in a thick, recycled stock five inch cardboard gatefold jacket. The album will be released worldwide Sept. 27 via The Mylene Sheath. “Inner and outer conflicts have grown, mental, global, crumbling and too far gone.”

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