Jarboe - MahaKali (2008)

GENRE..... Avantgarde, Alternative
LABEL...... The End Records
MODE....... VBRkbps / Joint-Stereo
REL.DATE.. Oct-20-2008

Mahakali is an Indian goddess, the feminized version of Mahakala or Death. Often considered
a destroyer goddess in the Hindu tradition and a greater form of the goddess Ka-li-,
Mahakali is often depicted as a sort of warrior mother fighting against hostile forces. She
is the Mother Divine.

Perhaps post-punk vocalist Jarboe is another sort of destroyer goddess. After 14 years in
front of musical pioneers Swans, her solo career has twisted and turned down darkened
hallways and attractive mountaintops with little consideration given to how things appear or
how things seem. Instead, Jarboe's consideration was entirely focused on The Real.

From a milieu of diversity, including snake-handling rituals in the Mississippi delta as a
little one and parents who served in the FBI, Jarboe sprang out with a folklore all her own.
As she grew into an artist, her ideals of connectivity and united experience never wavered.

Coming after the release of her intense collaboration with Jesu's Justin K. Broadrick on J2,
Jarboe's MahaKali is an epic journey built around themes of power, restraint, control, and
destruction.

Jarboe's penchant for using her voice to embody various characters bleeds life all over
MahaKali. This is less a concept album and more an experience album, leading the listener
along a path less traveled. With many similar records, the path less traveled is less
traveled for a reason. Such is not the case here, as the versatile vocalist has assembled a
collection of tracks of inconceivable importance and significance.

The journey of MahaKali swirls and winds through fabrics of metal, noise, ambience, and
orchestral arrangements. By enlisting the likes of Philip Anselmo of Pantera and Attila
Csihar of Mayhem, Jarboes collective of instrumentalists and power players extends its
depth and range considerably. The resulting squall is ferocious yet elegant.

MahaKali, of terrifying countenance introduces us to the squall with large textures of
sound, unfolding with simple keys over a foggy surface. It is serene, yet something
doubtlessly lurks below the water willing to suck us in for all were worth. Such is the
mystique of Jarboe: there is always something more. As she unleashes her eclectic vocals on
the track, the surface gives way to something paranormal, something intoxicating.

For some, this type of "performance art" music may seem little more than a pretentious
excuse to put out a record. But there is a profound story to tell here, once which embodies
the spirit of destruction when crossed with a gentle spirit of restraint. Jarboe intrepidly
explores the range, allowing her voice to serve as a weapon at times and, at other times, to
serve as a great comfort to the listener.

"The House of Void" is over eight minutes of staggering depth, capturing the post-punk sound
that many will find familiar. But as per usual, surprises lurk underneath the floor.

Csihar's contribution on "The Soul Continues" features a demonic growl and a truly
terrifying musical environment, offering up legitimately frightening chills that left me
waiting for Hell to swallow me up. Jarboe's vocals offset the darkness, but just barely.

Anselmo appears on the acoustic-driven "Overthrown", a glorious duet that has a
spine-chilling perimeter highlighted by a spoken word portion. And "Transmogrification" is a
drone-tinged track that features a small voice calling out from the murky depths.

On a practical level, Jarboe's MahaKali just might be the perfect soundtrack for setting up
your haunted house this Halloween. On a musical and perhaps spiritual level, it is so much
more than a fear-provoking soundscape. It is a chronicle, a fable, a progression, a
nightmare, a theory, a way of life, and a fucking awesome piece of work.


Tracklist:

01 MahaKali, of terrifying countenance
02 And the sky which once was filled with Light...
03 The house of void (Visceral Mix)
04 Transmogrification
05 From afar, upon the back of a tiger
06 The Soul continues (feat. Attila Csihar)
07 A se of blood and hollow screaming...
08 Overthrown (feat. Philip H.Anselmo)
09 Mouth of flames
10 Bornless
11 Ascend
12 Overthrown (Reprise-Jarboe Version)
13 Kali Lamentation I
14 Mouth of flames (Jarboe Demo Version)
15 Violence

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