"The Festival" has always been one of my favorite H.P. Lovecraft stories. It's eerie and demented and forces you to deal with more twisted realities. So when I found out that Swampcult had put together a entire concept album based on the story I of course had to premier it! This particular track, "Chapter VIII – The Madness" is a crazy one, featuring some freakish production, demented riffs and the chance to listen to the main character go insane. There's something wonderfully unsettling about Swampcult, it captures the magic of horror metal without coming across as overtly cheesy. Instead – Swampcult's work is like Lovecraft – vaguely menacing and strangely demented. Cooler still – the band uses beautifully illustrated story cards to showcase what happens with each song. There's a lot to pick apart on the entire album, appropriately titled The Festival, leaving me very excited for the October 2nd release date.
Here's what the band had to say about the track:
After the first album ‘An Idol Carved of Flesh’ we felt the need to do something quite different, to go off the beaten trail. We decided on a concept album based on one of our favorite stories by the master of horror. Not restricted by choruses or traditional song structures. To not just use H.P. Lovecraft’s story as a basis for lyrics but really telling the story. To let the music get stranger as the story progresses and the main character starts losing his mind. Not simply capture one’s imagination but to drag the listener onto the same journey into madness as the stories protagonist, by creating a dark and sinister atmosphere which Lovecraft is known for.
The ‘story cards’, a fantastic idea by Kunal of Transcending obscurity, really add to this effect. On each of these cards you can read exactly what the protagonist of ‘The Festival’ is experiencing and what next bitter thing is in store for him.
Check out the song, and relevant story card:
https://soundcloud.com/ranscendingbscurity/swampcult-netherlands-chapter-viii-the-madness/s-0zdDe
Pick up the album on Bandcamp.
