PREMIERE: GET SWALLOWED WHOLE BY ONTAARD'S ETHEREAL MENACE

Cool bands making cool music is still, happily a thing. Utrecht  band Ontaard are a case in point. Technically, I guess, what they do is [checks music-writer notes] seamlessly blend black metal atmosphere with an indie, post-rock/metal feel. But un-technically (definitely not a word), like musical mechanics of the future, they seem to just hijack whatever parts they like from whatever music they like in order to express themselves. It's all about them and what they have to say. That, I think, is the very definition of a cool band making cool music.

They're releasing a split with the fantastic Throwing Bricks via the scrumptious Tartarus Records (the number one label in sending weird-ass cat stickers with your mail orders) in a couple of weeks. And, somewhat related to that event, are presenting their brilliant new track "Blame Pt. 2" via this lowlife of a zine/blog/website/void-of-nothingness. The honor, really, is all mine, given that "Blame Pt. 2" is a motherfucking triumph of emotional, taxing, immersive music. You should be listening to it. It's right here. The "play" button is right here. It's not hard.

And in the meantime you can read the words emitted by these lovely, at least partially-blonde people and the music they like: Jeroen van Koesveld, Shira van der Wouden, Mart Lier, and Thomas Meerlo. Side note: Thomas name chekcing Shame by Brad made me very happy. Him calling it "old" made me very, very sad. And a day after my fucking birthday. Come on!

 What was the first album you bought with your own money, and where did you buy it?

Jeroen: When I was a kid my parents gave me a weekly allowance. This was exactly enough to buy a single every week, so I had dozens of singles lying around, but I never had enough money to buy an album, because I was terrible at saving money. So I remember my first album very clearly, it was Hybrid Theory by Linkin Park. I did not save up, but my parents gave me a little extra that week, just so I could buy that album, since I wanted it so badly. It was at the Free Record Store in Ermelo, I must have been like 10.

Thomas: That would have been the first and self-titled Gorillaz album, the one with hits such as “Clint Eastwood” and “19-2000”. I remember being amazed by the colorful videoclips on MTV and not really knowing who was actually playing the music. And this was not just an album; sticking the CD in your computer gave access to an interactive tour through the fictional residence and studio of the Gorillaz. Spent a lot of my first digital hours there.

Jeroen: I almost forgot about that! I have not thought about that in 15 years or so. That online mansion was crazy, and you also had the videogame where you could right around in the car from the videoclip.

Shira: When I was eleven my grandparents gave me a giftcard which I could spend at a record shop. I picked Avril Lavigne’s The Best Damn Thing. I probably can still sing every word to that album.

Mart: I think the first album that I bought with my own money (with a little help of my parents) was Papa Roach’s lovehatetragedy. To this day I still love that intro track. It’s a banger for sure!

 What 2-3 albums did you hear the most growing up?

Jeroen: The album I first bought, Hybrid Theory. I listened to that so much. I was a huge fan, I had Linkin Park flags, shirts, beanies, buttons. I had glasses and was so excited when I learned that Chester Beddingfield also wore glasses. So that one for sure. Besides that one there isn’t one that sticks out so much from before I was 16. I listened a lot to different popular bands like Panic! At the Disco, The Haunted, Limp Bizkit, Blink 182, Green Day, Yellowcard, Rise Against, etc.

When I was like 16-20 I listened to Mapmaker by Parts & Labor a lot, it starts out with a very energetic and memorable drum beat. And I don’t know precisely why, but I still think about that beat a lot.

Thomas: My father was, or still is, a big fan of blues legend J. J. Cale, he would turn those albums endlessly. I have to say I enjoyed them as well. Naturally is still an album I regularly, nostalgically put on my record player. The same goes for one of my mother’s favourite albums: Tapestry by Carole King, one of the most warmhearted and easy to sing along albums ever. And then maybe.. Green Day’s American Idiot, or any other popular punk band from the 00’s!

Shira: Okay, this is an easy one for me. Hands down A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out by Panic! At the Disco. I ripped the CD from my best friend when I was 10 and I refused to go to bed without Brandon Urie singing me to sleep haha. I still stand by it, that album is amazing. 11:11 by Regina Spektor is another album I couldn’t stop listening to.

Mart: I remember my dad coming home with Limp Bizkit’s Significant Other which absolutely blew me away. I had never heard anything like it. (I think it’s pretty funny that I could sing Break Stuff when I was only ten years old.). Fun fact: Shira tattooed the cover of this album on my leg. My parents were always into music and we talked a lot about music as well. I still go to shows with my dad as weIl. I think my broad music taste has something to do with them always playing all kinds of music. David Gray’s White Ladder was a real favourite in our household, but also Ray LaMontagne’s Trouble was on heavy rotation for a couple of years. Although I love heavy music; I will always have a soft spot for good country/ folk/ singer-songwriter.

What albums taught you the most about the technical aspect of making music?

Jeroen: There is not an album for me that taught me about this. I don’t really think about the technical parts about making music. For me when I listen to music it is mostly about the emotions the music provokes. I don’t listen for a particular sound or something. I learned all that by playing in bands, recording and playing shows. An example for that would be that I only learned that I should be playing on humbuckers, cause Marius (a good friend, who plays guitar in Throwing Bricks) told me it would sound better.

Thomas: Frances the mute by The Mars Volta. Or any of their early albums really. This band really opened my eyes to complex song structures and sounds. Bassplayer Juan Alderete is one of my all-time favorites. I listen to the album Und Die Scheiße Ändert Sich Immer by his other band Big Sir a lot. He has such a smooth fretless bass tone.

Shira: For me, the most important and compelling part in music making is, just like Jeroen says, provoking emotions and storytelling. The first album that really caught me by surprise was Emotionele Ödnis by Tardigrada. The album is built in two parts, using ambient soundscapes and black metal alternating through songs.

Jeroen: You mentioned that album by Tardigrada to me, I love that one a lot!

Mart: I never really thought about anything technical in music, until I heard Tool’s 10.000 Days. I had no idea that a band could play such technical parts and let it feel like it’s written in 4/4. You’ve got bands that play technical stuff, because it’s technical or bands that play technical and don’t let it feel like it’s technical. And Tool falls into that latter category. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about; please listen to Lateralus by Tool and find out how this song was written. It’s quite insane!)

What is the last album that absolutely shocked you?

Jeroen: Easy to answer for me – Resistance & the Blessing by World’s End Girlfriend. It came out in September of 2023. I first heard it in November I think. I had never heard anything like it. It’s experimental classical music, mixed with noise. I was enthralled when I first heard it, it’s 2.5 hours long and I listened to it twice on the first day. It’s a work of art from start to finish. At the end there is a noisy rendition of Ave Maria which I think is brilliant. It’s dramatic, dynamic and provokes all sorts of emotions from me. 10/10 album.

Thomas: That would be Hostile Architecture by Ashenspire! I still get goosebumps when I listen to it. They set up such a melancholic ambiance, combining metal riffs and guitar, with violins and saxophone. Very eery and unsettling. The mad and furious delivery of the lyrics is amazing. You can sense there was a lot of pain and suffering as a precursor to this album. Their live performance on last years Soulcrusher festival was mindblowing.

Shira: The only album that has ever really shocked me was G.R. by Death Pile. It was the first harsh noise album I ever listened to and I don't think I´ve ever come across an album more intense or horrifying. I have become quite familiar with the harsh noise scene in the Netherlands since then and I have yet to find an artist more disturbing than Death Pile. Music wise, that is. Everyone i've met in this scene is incredibly sweet.

Mart: I have to go with Chat Pile. Their album God’s Country blew me away. I remember sitting on a train to Belgium and just pausing the album after playing the first song and thinking: ‘’What did I just listen to?’’ That album was on heavy rotation for a couple of months and I’m really glad that I saw them perform at Roadburn Festival last year. I bumped into the singer after their show and he was the nicest guy ever. I can’t wait for their next album.

What album relaxes you or centers you the most?

Jeroen: Has to be Music for Living Spaces by Green-House. It’s ambient with melodies. It’s just beautiful. My wife and I played Sunflower Dance during our wedding ceremony and now I can’t listen to it without getting teary eyed and happy.

Thomas: Cure for Pain by Morphine. There is no other band that says “cool” like Morphine with their café-noir, not-a-care-in-the world style. It saddens me that I’ll never get to see them live, but oh well. Bit stressed? Morphine. Bit sad? Morphine. This band says: hey man, put your sunglasses on, take this sugarpill and have some fun! Let’s take a trip, together. I love this band so much that Shira has tattooed the album cover of Good on my leg.

Shira: Yes! And we listened to Morphine the whole session. I’m glad we did, it was a good album. The album I tattooed on myself is Spirit Was’ Heaven´s just a Cloud. It centers me in a nostalgic kind of way.

Mart: I think bands/ artists like London Grammar, Bon Iver, Eefje de Visser, Cape Sleep (fka Kim Janssen) really calm my nerves when I want to relax. I’m a sucker for good singer-songwriters and soothing music. It’s like a nice hot cup of coco that hugs you when you’re sad.

What are the 2-3 albums you’ve listened to the most recently?

Jeroen: I only recently discovered the 2006 album by Sybille Baier, called Colour Green. It was recorded in the early 70s but she didn’t release it. Her son thought those songs were beautiful, and they ended up releasing it. I think that’s so lovely.

Another album would be Post American by MSPAINT. It’s a postpunk album with synths in stead of guitar and it’s all bangers. It’s real ‘get hyped’ music.

Thomas: Shame by a band called Brad. This is a really old album and it shames me I never heard of it. Just kind of clicked and had been on repeat for a week now. Extinction Rituals by Norse band Nadir; really cool avant-garde-ish black metal, with a lot of melodic songwriting.

And I’ve kind of re-discovered the OST for Jim Jarmusch’s movie Only Lovers Left Alive. He made the soundtrack with his band SQÜRL, together with Jozef van Wissem. Minimalistic drums and a lot of feedbacking guitar over which middle eastern melodies are played with a lute. The original vinyl is hard to come by, but Sacred Bones did a re-issue two years ago that I immediately bought, I’ve been playing it at home for the last few weeks.

Shira: There are two albums that came out in ‘23 and I’ve been obsessed with. First one is The Head Hurts but the Heart Knows the Truth by Headache. The monotone spoken word from the protagonist describing these very lifelike trains of thoughts of a person who is slowly losing their minds. But it’s all set to beach house which is just the perfect juxtapose to incredibly depressing lyrics. Everything about, it’s amazing. Go listen to it.

The second album is The Lamb as Effigy by Sprain. After they’d dropped their single “Man proposes, God disposes” I had been eagerly waiting for this album and when it came I immediately ordered a vinyl of it. I had hoped to able to see them live this year but they dropped an absolute mindboggling masterpiece of an LP and then broke up as a band.

Mart: Jeroen always makes fun of me that I always listen to Hardcore, so just to bully him I’m saying that lately I’ve been listening to Sleepwalkers by Dead Swans. Great band with some really powerful songs. Slope just released a great record called Freak Dreams and it has everything that I want in music: funky riffs with some Hardcore influences. It’s like Red Hot Chili Peppers on steroids. Gouge Away just released their new album and I’ve only listened to it twice, but I already know that I will listen to this great album a lot. Also: Last week I listened to a lot of James Morrison. His album Undiscovered will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember coming home one day and I think my mom bought his album and we would listen to it when we were having dinner. Great memories all thanks to that album.

What album is grossly underrated?

Jeroen: 100% that’s Resistance & the Blessing by World’s End Girlfriend for me. I get it’s not an easy sell at 2.5 hours and being as experimental as it is. I professed my love for that record enough already though I think.

Thomas: There’s a market for everything, but I guess When the Kite String Pops by Acid Bath comes to mind. I don’t think it’s necessarily underrated, but not a lot of people seem to mention it. I’ll admit; it’s very old, but If one of the questions would be “what are the 10 best metal albums of all time?” this one would definitely be in it, as far as I’m concerned. There’s so many insanely good riffs on this album. And even though their sound is verry unsettling, mental even (one of the songs is unironically titled “finger paintings of the insane”) there’s also an undeniable groove that just makes you go “fuck yes”.

Shira: Ooh, that’s a tough one. All the aforementioned albums are underrated in my opinion, they’re all sick as fuck. But I can confirm how much Jeroen loves World’s End Girlfriend. Last new year’s eve I hosted a dinner where everyone had to send in their AOTY and I would make a separate dish for each album. So with 12 guests we had 12 small dishes. Jeroen had already sent in his AOTY, but I think a day or two after this album came out he messaged me to change the answer. I think he was hooked immediately.

Mart: For me it’s Deafheaven’s Infinite Granite. This album does not get much love, because Deafheaven changed up their sound. I love it when a band thinks: ‘’Fuck it! Let’s do something else.’’ The album slaps and Great Mass of Color is one of my favourite tracks by this amazing band.

 What album would you recommend from your local scene?

Jeroen: On the one hand I don’t want to toot our own horns, but on the other it would just be disingenuous if I didn’t say it was The Burden by Throwing Bricks [of which I wrote shortly here, MM]. Of course I’m biased as they are great friends of ours, but I mentioned I listen for music that provokes emotions, and I think Throwing Bricks does that so well. Feelings of desperation, loss, anger and sadness. However I do also really want to mention the single by Second Guessing released in 2022 called Zonder. It’s two songs and they both sound amazing. I love the vocals and the dynamics of Zonder Zenuwen. The desperate vocals of Rutger and Vincent in that song, how it gets quieter and starts back up with an amazing tremolo riff that is supported by incredibly tight and fast drumming. It’s just great.

Thomas: Death of by Birth of Manuel. It’s Jeroen's other band. Easy listening, sort-of-hardcore punk. It’s just a party and I love it. Especially Jordi’s clunky and bold Bass sound. They’ve been in the studio for a while now, so keep your eyes and ears open for something new coming! 

Jeroen: Haha, thanks, that entire album was recorded live in a studio in dB’s in like 6 hours. I still don’t hate it, the DIY sound is a thing, and I still really like the songs. But our next is going to be much higher production.

Shira: And I thought the last question was hard. Man, we are so lucky to be surrounded with incredibly talented and amazing friends. Our friends from Lijkschouwer recently dropped a 15-minute black metal single. Rats and Daggers are working very hard with two singles and a live video in an abandoned carwash. Karnabahar came with an amazing EP called Insurrección de los Incontentables. But last December we had the opportunity to get on stage with five other bands from our scene. The night was called Can of Worms and we were part of an estafette-like show, which we rehearsed months for in advance. It was the absolute epitome of what our scene entails. The live show was recorded and we sent in a few tracks to the hardcore4gaza compilation album. 

Mart: Too bad Jeroen stole my answer, so I will choose another release, because our scene is so rich. To Adelaide’s Something Temporary is a great album by very good friends of mine. I used to work with their singer and he has the same kind of fucked up humour as me and I love him for that. Their music is like Nothing and Title Fight had a baby. It’s shoegazy-emo-rockish. I can’t describe it, but it’s great.