The Wall of Sacrifice
Encyclopedia
The Wall of Sacrifice is an experimental
, dark folk
album by Death in June
. The original vinyl pressing, released in 1989
, was limited to 666 copies. A CD version was released in 1990
.
Some versions also have a hidden track, "Heilige Tod" ("Holy Death" in German).
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
, dark folk
Neofolk
Neofolk is a form of folk music-inspired experimental music that emerged from post-industrial music circles. Neofolk can either be solely acoustic folk music or a blend of acoustic folk instrumentation aided by varieties of accompanying sounds such as pianos, strings and elements of industrial...
album by Death in June
Death in June
Death in June are a neofolk group led by English folk musician Douglas Pearce, better known as Douglas P. The band was originally formed in Britain in 1981 as a trio, but after the other members left in 1984 and 1985 to work on other projects, the group became the work of Douglas P. and various...
. The original vinyl pressing, released in 1989
1989 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1989.-Events:*January 14 – Paul McCartney releases Снова в СССР exclusively in the USSR...
, was limited to 666 copies. A CD version was released in 1990
1990 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1990.-Events:*January 21 – MTV's Unplugged premieres on cable television with British band Squeeze...
.
Track listing
- "The Wall of Sacrifice" - Sixteen minute martialMartialMarcus Valerius Martialis , was a Latin poet from Hispania best known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between AD 86 and 103, during the reigns of the emperors Domitian, Nerva and Trajan...
, minimalistMinimalismMinimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
track that features sparse keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, military drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
ming and trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
ing, GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
folk singing, German military marchesMarchesA march or mark refers to a border region similar to a frontier, such as the Welsh Marches, the borderland between England and Wales. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe....
(possibly S.S.SchutzstaffelThe Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
), a child's sing-song looped and repeated, and various other noise and vocal effects. - "Giddy Giddy Carousel" - An atmospheric folk song featuring Douglas P.'s cryptic lyrics relating to the ruinsRuinsRuins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
of EuropaEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Background vocals by Rose McDowallRose McDowallRose McDowall is a Scottish musician, most notably as a vocalist in the pop band Strawberry Switchblade.-History:... - "Heilige Leben" - InstrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
, hypnotic soundscape featuring echoized fragments of Rose McDowall's vocals as well as a submerged, repeated vocal by her (Holy Life in German). - "Fall Apart" - Traditional folk arrangement, distorted guitar intro, with vocal and lyric by Douglas P. Instrumentation contributed by David Tibet.
- "Bring in the Night" - Military drumming and a stark, misanthropicMisanthropyMisanthropy is generalized dislike, distrust, disgust, contempt or hatred of the human species or human nature. A misanthrope, or misanthropist is someone who holds such views or feelings...
spoken piece from Boyd RiceBoyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
, vocal by Rose McDowallRose McDowallRose McDowall is a Scottish musician, most notably as a vocalist in the pop band Strawberry Switchblade.-History:...
. - "In Sacrilege" - Acoustic guitar and multiple vocal tracks, over industrial bed. Vocal(s) by David TibetDavid TibetDavid Tibet is a British poet and artist who founded the music group Current 93, of which he is the only full-time member. He had earlier collaborated with Psychic TV and 23 Skidoo...
. - "Hullo Angel" - Also Recorded for the Current 93Current 93Current 93 is an eclectic British experimental music group, working since the early 1980s in folk-based musical forms. The band was founded in 1982 by David Tibet .-Background:Tibet has been the only constant in the group, though Steven Stapleton has appeared on...
album, Swastikas for NoddySwastikas For NoddySwastikas for Noddy is a 1988 album by English music group Current 93.The lineup for the recording was: David Tibet, Steven Stapleton, Jhon Balance, Rose McDowall, Boyd Rice, HÖH, Ian Read, Freya Aswynn, and Douglas P., Gary Carey and Bee....
. Vocal by Douglas P.Douglas P.Douglas P. , is an English folk musician, record label owner, photographer and actor who records under the name Death In June. He was born in Sheerwater in Woking, Surrey, and resides in Australia. Douglas P. is openly gay.-Crisis:Pearce began his musical career in a British punk band called Crisis... - "Death is a Drummer" - Nine minutes. Looped noise effects, embedded electronics, military marches, treated vocals, simulated aircraft manoeuverings and a range of other effects and treatments.
Some versions also have a hidden track, "Heilige Tod" ("Holy Death" in German).
Personnel
- Douglas P.Douglas P.Douglas P. , is an English folk musician, record label owner, photographer and actor who records under the name Death In June. He was born in Sheerwater in Woking, Surrey, and resides in Australia. Douglas P. is openly gay.-Crisis:Pearce began his musical career in a British punk band called Crisis...
- David TibetDavid TibetDavid Tibet is a British poet and artist who founded the music group Current 93, of which he is the only full-time member. He had earlier collaborated with Psychic TV and 23 Skidoo...
- Rose McDowallRose McDowallRose McDowall is a Scottish musician, most notably as a vocalist in the pop band Strawberry Switchblade.-History:...
- Boyd RiceBoyd RiceBoyd Blake Rice is an American experimental sound/noise musician using the name of NON since the mid-1970s, archivist, actor, photographer, author, member of the Partridge Family Temple religious group, co-founder of the UNPOP art movement and current staff writer for Modern Drunkard...
- Nikolas Schreck
- Andrea James
- Jan O