BLANK SPELL "Miasma" pro tape
Pro dubbed, sealed tape of the blank spell lp.
There are very few bands from any musical era or milieu whose sound and approach seemingly came out of the blue and for me, hearing the music of Blank Spell was like an apparition that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. You can ffo them with the outsider spectrum of unhinged early 80s hardcore outfits such as Void, Die Krezuen, Italian HC, Feederz etc, but even at that, trying to apply descriptors such as hardcore, no wave/noiserock, darkwave/goth or whatever just does not even come close. Blank Spell has this Captain Beefheart effect where upon repeated listenings I pick up new things everytime I listen that hadnt heard before. However, this is not colliding instrumentation bouncing off each other as much as lacerating, jolting sonic, rythymic and vocal blasts and bursts coming at you from all sides that is neither linear, angular or circular, the effect is like being attacked by a swarm of mutant locusts or dodging sparks shooting out of a downed power line. As chaotic is this all sounds, I find Blank Spell music as being neither random or spastic, their music and vocals are stark and deliberately crafted with everything exactly in its place. Unnerving and unsettling music for unsettling times. -Chuck Meehan
