#brystet

Gabestok - S/T CS [Full Tape]

1. Burried Alive    [00:00-02:11] 2. Tall Man   [02:12-03:52] 3. Knife Fight   [03:53-04:50] 4. Hey Satan   [04:51-06:26] 5. Lesser Known Messiah   [06:27-07:06] 6. Sexual Bleedin   [07:07-9:00] 7. Murder Death Kill   [09-01-12:04] 8. Tall Man Reprise   [12:05-14:38]

Copenhagen’s Gabestok delicately walk a fine line between Black Metal melodrama and heavy rock righteousness. Surprisingly, aside from the strep throat invocations, the potential goon factor is offset by a blitz of crude riffs. They’re anything but flashy. The aim seems Heavy, not Hardcore, but somewhere beyond NWOxHM and the subsequent Metal fracturing. Or maybe it’s all a step towards a cabin deep in a European forest, where they can escape humankind and band together around a pet Wolf. But Gabestok’s style, and their shunning of virtuosity, shouldn’t feel unwelcome to punks. And don’t be put off by the song titles. Their phraseology is basically Scandinavian communion; personal mantras of the proud Danish people.

Personal story: I’ve been to a Scandinavian country (Sweden) exactly once. It was hell, at least for a loud stupid American. Within 30 minutes of being in Stockholm, TWO DIFFERENT UNRELATED PEOPLE threatened to call the authorities on me and my ex for reasonably debating directions to a hostel in public. Maybe we raised our voices a little, SURE, but it was typical of the situation—being lost in an extremely cold foreign country, with nothing but an overly-complicated map and the natural hatred couples have for each other. This happened on an empty street at about 8pm ON A WEEKEND. We were both a little nonplussed after being threatened by people to keep a hushed tone in public.

Why am I bringing this up? Because obviously something nefarious is going on in Northern Europe when people are crouching in alley ways, waiting for the first sign of human disagreement, so they can pop out and imply the secret police are on their way. Maybe the Gods that are cherished there have something to do with it, but Gabestok’s relationship with them is almost too egalitarian. They even express irritation over the need to scar their knees in worship (”Hey Satan”). Crabby in the face of the beast. Scream and shake your first at this stupid God of the extreme indoor voice.

I’m pleased enough with the Youtube above, but the physical tape may be all that satisfies some of you.