ALVARIUS B "Chin Spirits" C24 (Chocolate Monk)



This collection of solo jammers from an ex-member of a Frasiertown grunge band of the 1990’s (as well as pre-historic & future times, arguably), starts with a composition consisting of only samples of Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction (because why not?). Side A continues with some pretty & gritty acoustic string things, stripped-down funeral-mariachi-style, wart-rattle and all. After previously hearing a couple Alvarius B albums that were collections of previously-not-worth-releasing stuff, this is a pleasant find, side A ending with Al. B. Sure in character, talking you through the tuning process; riffing, improvising, goofing, scowling.

Side B is the real shitt. This is my jams. Straight up. Yuh. Primordial-ooze-down-the-side-of-a-mountain vocal howl with bowed-string screech.  Sickened pre-historic post-apoca-dirge. Lomax grit saturating the tape. Scritch-scraping with ethno-Folkways  Mickey Mouse chants.  Weirdo plucked string & vocal drone, with Earth chants & vocal freakers. Super sick (meaning rad, but also meaning worse than the flu) vibes. Tape ends with a sparse bit of squeaks & scrapes from some sort of bowed string instrument.

This came out some number of months ago, in an edition of 60, so if you run to the mall now, you might just have a chance.

-- Garrison Heck

For those not in the know, Alvarius B. AKA Alan Bishop AKA Your Uncle Jim was the bassist and vocalist of esteemed occult rockers Sun City Girls. Also, surprisingly, this is the first Cassette Gods review for a release on Dylan Nyoukis' long-running label Chocolate Monk  -- ed.