Life always seems to find a way. To wit, just
recently a baby dinosaur’s tail was discovered preserved in amber, suggesting
that our dreams of a world where life can be reignited from mere DNA, just like
in Jurassic Park, is a reality is just a centrifuge spin or two away. Dreams, life,
the desires of a “Kumbaya” existence where arms are draped around shoulders in
solidarity is a real goal. Live and let live. Gaze in awe and wonder at
creation. Contribute to it. Reach out to your fellow humans, especially those
in need. Push forward the agendas where sustaining life is objective. Just try,
for goodness’ sake!
(Poor baby dinosaur, though! I love him. SO MUCH.)
Then there’s Ak’chamel, bloodthirsty god, formerly
giver of illness. Death and destruction rises in its wake. Ak’chamel’s
psych-folk Texas cult (sure, because it’s so much more than a band!) returns
with another batch of defiled wreckage, way
freakier than anything David Eugene Edwards could have conjured, and almost
certainly recorded with a live baboon in the room, because what out-there
desert cult doesn’t employ a baboon
in some capacity? (You can’t hear any animal noises on the tape, unfortunately
– it’s a very well-behaved baboon.) Each arcane hymn on Transmissions from Boshqa drips with the type of dread that only
emanates from minor obscure deities, those hell-bent on complete destruction and
subjugation as their chosen form of conquest. Think Angelo Badalamenti in the
desert at points, kicking up dust, or Ennio Morricone strapped to a beat-up
chair in a basement torture chamber and forced to make a constant stream of
music to appease his captors. I really hope Ak’chamel the band hasn’t actually
done this, otherwise it would look like I’m complicit or something. (Ennio, I’m
coming for you!)
If life always seems to find a way, Ak’chamel
always finds a way to snuff it out. There’s no hope, no “Kumbaya,” no release. It’s
all tense manipulation, kind of like southern Baptist revivals, but less
cloying. Still, I bet you get to handle snakes at Ak’chamel gatherings. I
imagine that immunity to venom is a prerequisite for initiation. Maybe, if
we’re all really good boys and girls and we get very, very lucky, we’ll even be
able to handle dinosaurs someday. Who knows – Ak’chamel will probably spill
most of our blood before we get a chance to find out.
--Ryan Masteller
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