Dogs Blood Rising

Durtro 027CD, 1984, Running time: 45:06

Dogs Blood Rising
  1. Christus Christus (The Shells Have Cracked) - 03:03
  2. Falling Back in Fields of Rape - 14:41
  3. From Broken Cross, Locusts - 06:04
  4. Raio No Terrasu (Jesus Wept) - 13:57
  5. St. Peter’s Keys All Bloody - 02:20
  6. Dogs Blood Rising - 04:59

Current 93’s second outing runs in a fairly similar vein to Nature Unveiled, but with perhaps a little more style and a fuller development of ideas. This is really a great album: eerie, disturbing, and powerful. In fact, this album is perhaps the finest example of the experimental side of Current 93. Most (but not all) of the lyrics are included in the liner.

Track one, CHRISTUS CHRISTUS, is simply a repetition of the title (in various distorted and non-distorted voices), over howling and plenty of scary background noises. The lyrics are included in the CD liner, believe it or not; it’s kind of a giggle seeing “christus christus christus christus” repeated over a hundred times on the page.

FALLING BACK IN FIELDS OF RAPE begins with simple drumming, a choir in the background, some sort of backwards-sounding noises, and a voice (Steve Ignorant, I’m told) repeating “war.” It eventually meshes into Steve Ignorant screeching out the lyrics over hammering and distortion. Later, a young girl’s voice sings the familiar “here we go round the mulberry bush” rhyme, and then rips into the lyrics yelled earlier by Ignorant. This is followed by more distorted vocals, a woman’s monotone voice (informants tell me this is Iggy from the band No Defenses) recounting atrocities over a choir’s chanting. Finally, Tibet ends the piece by asking “and what would you do, my gentlest one?”, and a final repetition of the title. Pay attention to this song; you’ll find the concept of “fields of rape” running constantly throughout the early and middle years of Current 93.

Propeller-style buzzings, strange drumming, and a loop of Crowley(?) chanting begin FROM BROKEN CROSS, LOCUSTS. Tibet growls and howls through distortion for much of the piece, which continues in pretty much the same vein as it begins. The words “lucifer” and “anti-christ” are the dominant theme.

RAIO NO TERRASU, according to the liner notes, was recorded on the thirteenth anniversary of the suicide of novelist Yukio Mishima through hari-kari and beheading. More scary choir music, with (of course) distortion and lots of passionate vocals from Tibet (mostly “jesus wept”). Note that the “christus christus” theme make a re-appearance in this piece.

Most of you will recognize ST. PETER’S KEYS ALL BLOODY as a cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” (and including pieces of the traditional song “Scarborough Fair”). Tibet hisses most of the lyrics (as well as some of his own) as another voice sings the song rather more melodically. No lyrics are offered in the liner for this one.

The final track, DOGS BLOOD RISING, sounds very much like a return to the Nature Unveiled sessions, with plenty of very slow vocals and disturbing growlings, made stranger by some quick stereo panning. The mostly un-intelligible lyrics are not included in the CD liner. I’m told that this track is a backwards recording of RAIO NO TERRASU, though I havn’t reversed it to confirm.

No epilogue.