Photo by Kurt-Prinz
“Austrian quartet PHAL:ANGST exist somewhere between industrial, EBM, goth, post-rock and doom, peddling a brand of music that is equal parts dark, heavy and danceable, almost the more brooding cousin of something like Boy Harsher…” — MetalSucks
Vienna-based industrial/post-rock veterans PHAL:ANGST today unveil their new video for “Severance.” Now playing courtesy of MetalSucks, the track comes by way of the band’s fifth full-length, Whiteout, out TODAY (fittingly, Friday the 13th) via Noise Appeal Records.
For the first time in PHAL:ANGST’s winding history, an artist not part of the immediate band collective created a video for them: FAZO666FAZO. The musician and label colleague (Baits, Deathdeathdeath) is also a visual artist and especially known for his animation videos. But here he returns to one of his favorite old genres: the video collage. With “Severance,” FAZO666FAZO made a very coherent mash up video out of old web archive clips which tells the story of (possible) life: Birth, transience, adolescence, sex, death, dance, sleep, and the final farewell.
Writes MetalSucks, “The slow-burning beats and soundscapes are made significantly more creepy by the visual, which shows a series of increasingly-weird VHS-quality clips while the beat pulses underneath.”
View PHAL:ANGST’s “Severance” video, courtesy of MetalSucks, at THIS LOCATION.
Stream PHAL:ANGST’s Whiteout at Spotify HERE. Watch PHAL:ANGST’s previously released video for Whiteout’s title track HERE.
Whiteout is out now on CD, cassette, and digitally. Order yours at THIS LOCATION.
The music contained within Whiteout bears the hallmarks of an exceptionally individualistic, if not idiosyncratic, band. There are no “songs” in the traditional sense of the word; instead, there are sticky, cinematographic sound epics which meander through numerous atmospheres and temperaments. These are frequently dystopic, melancholic, but also hyper harmonic with a distinct penchant for romanticism. This time, distorted eruptions of rage have been reduced in favor of more reverbed Southern Gothic, dulcet metallophone, subtle dub breaks, and rhythmic vocal samples with stomping beats in slow motion. It’s a work that demands patience, quietude, and attention from its listeners… And possibly mental resilience. When the repetitive line, “So also ist das Sterben” (So this is what it’s like to die), from the album’s closing carries the listener beyond the realm of the living on a crescendo of noise and harmony, one can appreciate the cerebral magic of PHAL:ANGST’s sonic sphere.
Whiteout includes remixes by industrial/dark ambient icons Brian Williams AKA Lustmord (Current 93, Nurse With Wound, SPK, Terror Against Terror) and Jarboe (Swans), two musicians who have had a fundamental impact on the work of PHAL:ANGST.
The artwork was designed using photos by Kurt Prinz, pictures that were partly featured in the book Sezierte Architektur (“dissected architecture”), only adding to the record’s disquieting vibe.
“If you’ve ever wondered what a light and airy version of SunnO)))’s Black One might sound like, without losing any of its terrifying qualities, you’ll love this.” – Metal Injection on “A Tale Of Severance”
“…a slow-burner, gradually escalating from a graceful and gentle ambient-pop intro, marked by gorgeous piano flourishes, into a heavy and noisy climax that goes out with a bang.” – Treble on “Whiteout”
“The sprawling, eight-minute soundscape offers a tense blending of PHAL:ANGST’s more traditional post-rock instrumentation… with Lustmord’s ominous electronics. The piece features a strong, prominent bass line; loping rhythm; repetitive guitar riff, growled vocals; and electronic atmospherics—like a demonic reggae dub track. It’s psychedelic, pulsing, dark and haunting.” – Decibel Magazine on “Unhinged”
“It’s possible I picked this up at the perfect time, the synthy, moody soundscapes a fitting accompaniment to the grey January days. But it’s definitely not only that. Whiteout is a brilliant example of understatement done right, and its magnetic envelopment is real. There are certainly worse ways to lose an hour in hazy daydreaming.” – Angry Metal Guy
“It will suit your ears whether you’re a fan of industrial post-rock music or not because it carries many beautiful moments where classification in genres doesn’t matter at all. If this is not enough to convince you of the sheer beauty of Whiteout, remember there are Lustmord and Jarboe remixes included, but this album would sound good without those remixes too.” – Thoughts Words Action
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