search for something...

search for something you might like...

Between Rock and a Hard Place Splintered's long overdue and mantra-like sixth album takes no prisoners

Between Rock and a Hard Place

Splintered's long overdue and mantra-like sixth album takes no prisoners

by Alan Rider, Contributing Editor
first published: May, 2024

approximate reading time: minutes

'Scylla', echoes the snake like peril of that mythological beast, writhing and twisting, with submerged vocals battling with gunshot drums and distorted guitars

LP cpverSplintered
Between Scylla and Charybdis
(Fourth Dimension)
favoritefavoritefavoritefavoritefavorite

There are some releases that just stand out as being different, above the herd if you like.  Fourth Dimension has a track record of producing such releases, most recently ATV’s ‘Direct Action’ album, and Bass Communion’s ‘The Itself of Itself’ and it is no co-incidence that head of Fourth Dimension, Richard Johnson, also performs in Splintered, which he formed back in 1990 out of the ashes of his previous group, Playground.  Splintered were, and are, a different proposition to the more post-punk/rock oriented Playground and from the outset sought (in the words of their Widipedia page) “to push the previous band's noise excursions to denser realms” in the mould of Godflesh, Ramleh, Skullflower and other such sonic pioneers.  Although Splintered disbanded in 1997, it was never acrimonious, and between 2021 and 2024 members sporadically worked together on new material, even playing the odd show in London and Poland, before re-animating and bringing out ‘Between Scylla and Charybdis’, their first album since the 1996 collaboration with German musique concrete artist, RLW, and their sixth overall. Whilst I have no doubt some of you may well be classical Greek scholars, for the rest of you, Scylla and Charybdis were two pretty scary and dangerous monsters who lived on opposite sides of what is now the Straits of Messina, and which Odysseus had to navigate in Homers ‘Odyssey’, narrowly escaping their clutches himself, though some of his crew weren’t so lucky. As an idiom it means having to choose between two equally unpalatable alternatives.  Now you know!

Intense and uncompromising, theatrically powerful and mantra like, the album opens with the sound of running water and tortured bass and guitar, echoing the submerged sculptures of the sleeve.  The following track, ‘Scylla’, echoes the snake like peril of that mythological beast, writhing and twisting, with submerged vocals battling with gunshot drums and distorted guitars.  ‘The Horrors of Linden’ chimes and grinds in equal measure, whereas the juddering tribal infused whirlpool of ‘Charybdis’ swirls dense spirals of feedback.  By the time you get to ‘Bell Harry’s Lament’ the die is cast.  Mantra like drones and chimes and mechanistic mangled loops and subterranean vocals in equal measure, its one of my favourites on the album and is really quite hypnotic.  By the time the surprisingly brief ‘Permutation 2:Pillar of Salt’ shimmers into being I do feel in a bit of an altered state, I have to confess.  This is one of those albums that sounds very much better at night, or at least with the blinds drawn, as it simply oozes atmosphere so intense that you can literally slash at it in the air, like smoke. 

Acting as a metaphor for the state of the world, the album title ‘Scylla and Charybdis’ could be translated as being between a rock and a hard place.  Rock this most certainly isn’t, a hard place it most decidedly is, and thankfully, is all the better for it.


Essential info
Main image by Onyee Lo

Alan Rider
Contributing Editor

Alan Rider is a Norfolk based writer and electronic musician from Coventry, who splits his time between excavating his own musical past and feeding his growing band of hedgehogs, usually ending up combining the two. Alan also performs in Dark Electronic act Senestra and manages the indie label Adventures in Reality.


about Alan Rider »»

Pete Williams web banner

RECENT STORIES

RANDOM READS

All About and Contributors

HELP OUTSIDELEFT

Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]

WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT

If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]

WRITERS thru' the Years

Agata Makiela, Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Becca Kelly, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Cassie Thomas, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, Danny Rose, David Hackney, David O'Byrne, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Rich, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, J.Lee, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Jonathan Thornton, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Kiah Cranston, Kleo Kay, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Martin Devenney, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, Mike Fox, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Burns, Paul Hawkins, Paul Mortimer, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Richard John Walker, Rick Casson, Rikki Stein, Ronan Crinion, Rowena Murphy, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Tony Fletcher, Toon Traveller, Trevi, Urs Lerch, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & Lamontpaul

OUTSIDELEFT UNIVERSE

Last NIght of the LTB Showrooms
OUTSIDELEFT Night Out
weekend

outsideleft content is not for everyone