The Burial of the Dead – excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (1913) by 30 Immolated; 16 Returned. Holy shit- this EP could make a small child cry, perhaps even a room full of them! What in the cocaine-fueled acid trip hell did I just listen to? Objectively speaking, it was a sonic assault that punched and pummeled my ears to the point where I truly believed that, if I listened to it twice in a row, I may just go insane. Subjectively speaking, it was a curiosity to question how and why this roughly four-minute musical experience could conceive such an extreme visceral reaction within me and, as a result, I had to do some digging into the history of the band 30 Immolated; 16 Returned. You have to understand that I heard the EP before I learned the backstory, so I want to introduce the back story before the music to offer a different point of view.
A little bit about 30 Immolated; 16 Returned, a little bit about their inspiration for the EP (Igor Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”) and a little bit about T.S. Eliot’s famous poem, “The Wasteland”, which inspired the sporadic, yet ornamental lyric set for the track. If you don’t love and are not fascinated by the track like I am, I hope you can at least appreciate some of the history leading up to its inception.
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30 Immolated; 16 Returned is an interesting group of individuals to say the least. Here are their names and contributions to the unique, extreme metal sound that I’m sure no other combination of four could create, straight from their Bandcamp page (I’ll let you figure out which two of these four mad geniuses have Ph.D.’s in music theory and composition):
- Dr. Death – Garrote and Vomit
- Madame Champville – Whips and Shrieks
- Father Bones – Impalement and Bellows
- Disgusting Smith – Flayer and Barks
With a very strong academic approach to musical arrangement and an obvious talent regarding their “contributions” to the band, it’s hard to tell if 30 Immolated; 16 Returned are leaning towards madness or genius, both of which are often intertwined. Either way, I am sure they are dancing about that thin line.
Now, on to Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring”, whose 1913 premiere at the Théâtre de Champs-Elysées in Paris, , caused a riot! Another “holy shit” moment for me because I couldn’t help but picture myself decked out with a sweet top hat and shimmering monocle, wearing an expensive three-piece suit complete with bright red bow tie and cummerbund while stomping around in some type of swanky Italian leather shoes currently embroiled in a riot at possibly the fanciest theatre in all of Paris. Kinda like an upscale early twentieth century mosh pit.
No doubt, Stravinsky’s version is not as heavy as 30 Immolated; 16 Returned, however, it is still a frantic, jerky, and anxiety-inducing composition. It sounds very much like if Danny Elfman went back in time and infiltrated the orchestra. To make things even worse for the already startled audience, the stage performers’ bodily movements very accurately mimicked the unstable tones and rapid tempos of the piece, causing more grief and panic among the crowd.
As far as Eliot’s ‘The Wasteland” is involved, it’s a 433-line poem that describes the physical and emotional scarring of the post WWI landscape. I feel that the lyrics chosen from that poem for this EP were expertly elected and perfectly placed to punctuate the musical punching and pummeling placed upon the potential listener’s ears. Having said so, and currently with 20 tabs open dedicated to this project, I’d like to present to you, without further ado: “The Burial of the Dead – excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (1913)” by 30 Immolate; 16 Returned.
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“The Burial of the Dead – excerpts from Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (1913)” is out now
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Thank you kind sir for your well-researched review of our latest EP! Perhaps one day we will include you in our debaucheries as a way to properly thank you! Dr. Death
Amazing review. I haven’t heard the band, but I really want to now!
Seanie AWESOME! CALL ME!!