Thurston Moore & John Moloney: Caught on Tape - Full Bleed (Northern Spy)

Returning for their fourth release, the ever-present Thurston Moore and Sunburned Hand of the Man drummer, John Moloney, continue their improvised sonic explorations into ear-splitting black metal intensity under the moniker of Caught on Tape.

Full Bleed bares the mark of Moore’s time in Twilight, a studio-only black metal “supergroup” formed by members of Draugar, Krieg, Leviathan, Nachtmystium and Xasthur in 2005. Here, his guitar ranges from Sonny Sharrock chicken scratch to abrasive Varg Vikernes chainsaw drones, a lumbering, screeching beast of unfathomable proportions out for blood and revenge. Moloney keeps the beat with jazz rolls augmented by the occasional blast and doom beat, recalling the strange underground black metal practice, popularized by Graveland, of recording guitars before the drums. It’s like Abruptum got together with Panzerfaust-era Darkthrone for a Burzum-style meditation.

Can Thurston Moore rock? The answer is a resounding YES, as Full Bleed shows the guitarist at his loudest, nastiest and most abrasive, completely eschewing any of the pop sensibilities that have marked his career while allowing John Moloney to push him further into dark insanity. Turn it up loud and bask in the negative vibes of Caught on Tape.