When I recently started reviewing music again in earnest, I contacted bands and labels to let them know that I was back in the land of the living, and one of these was Piton from Ygodeh. He soon wrote back to me and told me that he had been working on a new project, Sectlinefor, and would I be interested in hearing the debut they had released recently? Like Ygodeh, Sectlinefor is a trio based around bassist Aal and Piton (everything else), but instead of Serberus, this time we have Jared providing vocals. I can see why it was decided that this was a new band instead of just a new album, as here we have something that is very special indeed, creating a form that I found both incredibly compelling and immediate.
Imagine if you will System For A Down mating with Throbbing Gristle, and bringing to life a bastard offspring that not only contains elements of both bands (and Serj Tankian’s orchestral exploits to boot) but also the brutal force of death metal. Sonically this is immense, with Jared singing perfectly in key at some points, and only managing to get his vocals out through gritted teeth at others, struggling to even hit any sort of notes as he fights the restraints of the straitjacket he has been wrapped in. Here we have music that is pushing the boundaries, creating something that is vibrant, brutal, and uncompromising at all levels, and I love it. The more I play it the more I find within it, as the layers open – there is no way that this should make nearly as much sense as it does, but for those who don’t want their music to be 4/4 and boring then look no further than this. Available through Bandcamp I urge all those who enjoy music from left field to at least stream this and give them a try. What have you got to lose? And you have plenty to gain. https://sectlinefor.bandcamp.com. Then if that wasn’t enough, I have to give special kudos to the press release, repeated below so that you can enjoy reading it as much I did. Sectlinefor are a band that should be on everyone’s radar.
“Trawling through the freezing swamps and slicing his legs open on poisonous shrubbery, Piton realised he was about to die. Hungry parasites were suckling upon his organs and mosquitos the size of his fist were devouring his blood until no quantity of food or water could sustain his survival. For a whole he could no longer remember why he had embarked on this mission in the first place, but as his bones withered into twigs, none of these things mattered anymore. He was so lost and worn that his knees began to betray him, and he fell into the muddy ground, disinterested in the life he once treasured so preciously, ready to surrender his person into death. But what he didn’t know, was that he was being watched.
An external force by the name of Hypno-frog had been keeping an eye on Piton for quite some time now, admiring the man’s ambition whilst waiting for the perfect moment to introduce himself. That moment came when Piton stumbled a few feet away from a dusty cabin, and crawled inside to find warmth and shelter from the elements. There, Hypno-frog revealed himself to Piton, complementing the boy on making it this far and then delivering a proposition. He handed Piton a guitar and requested that the two of them lived together in that very cabin without speaking, giving up their voices to communicate only via the means of music, the epitome of expression. Piton eagerly agreed, happy to abandon the cold in favour of his bloody fingers using strings to represent the soul he had trapped inside for so long. And for a while, life was good again, the translation of spirit into an extrinsic audio force building health to both parties, each finding a mutual love (and hate) in the technical aggression of metal structures and cosmic atmospheres.
However, all things must pass, and eventually Hypno-frog instructed Piton to step back and witness what he had created. For before them was a full-length album, written and arranged, almost fleshy enough to be released beyond the constraints of the cabin. At first, Piton was confused as he did not know how to approach this discharge, but once again it was Hypno-frog who offered a solution. He suggested they should build a small army, one which could help sharpen these sounds into a more direct spike to pierce virgin ears with more precision. Piton not only understood the benefit of such an idea, but also knew exactly the right soldiers to do it. Enter Aal, a beast who explored bass frets like he was reading brail. Piton knew all too well that these passionate creatures were each born with their own unique sets of powerful skills, as together they had fought many wars in the past, formulating a chemistry they had named YGODEH, a separate audio project created from a consistency so potent that any sorcerer would shudder at the smell. They were already a team, and as soon as they assembled, they knew they were almost ready to charge into battle. Except they were missing one crucial piece to complete the message. They needed a voice.
After a tiresome search, they stumbled upon an abandoned child by the name of Jared. Depressed and confused, this boy was known to shout at the heavens in great anger, with no place to focus his elaborate tales of the earthly horrors he had witnessed. Recognising his dire need for adoption, the group presented Jared to Hypno-frog, and received his blessing, just like the scripture had foretold all those centuries ago. And with that, Sectlinefor was conceived like a baby in the womb, ready to be cut out and dismembered, a small piece for every person in the world. Every fairy tale needs a hero, and every fairy tale needs a villain. And at this early hour in our story, not even SECTLINEFOR know which side they are fighting for.” ‘Nuff said.
