Von Lmo (pronounced Von Elmo by terrestrial lips) is dedicated to punk/metal rock from outer space. Born in the black light dimension, Von Lmo has a fondness for enlightening the denizens of the Earth to the potential of the galaxy. When he's not solving ecological crises on his adopted planet Strazar, Von Lmo is subjecting Earthlings to his interstellar message: "Advance yourself."
Entrenched in a secret compound in New York's Coney Island, Von Lmo reaches out via secret radio transmissions to communicate the need for mankind to ready themselves for galactic citizenship. These communications take the form of intensely passionate rock music, full of visceral edginess with a demonstrative space punk presence, crafted to enlighten and expand all minds to their full potential.
For Von Lmo, Earth is only a way station, part of a vast network of habitable points scattered throughout the galaxy. Music, raw and intense, is the portal through which the listener can transport themselves to these alien worlds.
VON LMO: Cosmic Interception (CD on Variant Records) Variant Records
This 1994 release features 55 minutes of raucous space rock.
The music is a curious amalgamation of grinding guitar, surging basslines, powerhouse drums, deep-throated vocals, and guttural electronics. Wailing saxophone plays an integral part in the sonic fuel necessary for Von Lmo's escape velocity.
Imagine the Ramones transplanted to Saturn. Von Lmo's tuneage is packed with raw energy, driving rock-out melodies, and harshly articulated vocals. The pace is relentless, crashing from the CD to channel with frantic fury into your ears, pummeling your mind with messages of astral existence and the charm of life in outer space. Hard-edged performances fill the air with wall-of-sound songs that knock the breath from your lungs and replace such depleted gases with supercharged particles in a constant state of agitated vibration an atmosphere of growling sonics.
Many of the songs employ extended passages of heavy metal jam quality, evoking flashing neon imagery of the band hunched over their instruments, cranking out power chords with wild abandon and passionate delivery.
Von Lmo's music possesses an attribute of harnessed chaos which captures the energy of nearly-out-of-control concert sound.
There is a strong Nik Turner flair in Von Lmo's space rock structure, in the wildly hoarse vocal quality and in the raw amalgamation of saxophone with hard rock, infusing a garage element to space rock. While Turner (with Hawkwind) made Stonehenge the temple for unleashing their sonic blast-offs, Von Lmo transplants such sentiments to New York City's CBGB's.
Rounding things out with interstellar scope, there are three versions of the title track: a boisterous rock-out rendition, a psychedelic take with scalding guitarwork, and a dance mix.
VON LMO: Red Resistor (CD on Variant Records)
This time, the Von Lmo ensemble is reduced to guitar, bass, drums and vocals, producing a Glenn Branca wall-of-attack edge to the hard rock sound. The songs here are longer than compact hit tunes, allowing more exposition for the sonic attack mode, including an epic expansion of 31 minutes for the "X+Z=0" track.
The drums generate a tidal wave of percussive fury. A relentless bassline, thick as a tarpit, growls in tandem with the percussion, producing a impenetrable force field. Through this raging turbulence, savage guitar screams, flinging chaotic riffs and waves of furious feedback at the listener with vicious intent. The vocals, still hoarse and demanding, become nearly lost in the sonic maelstrom.
This musical evolution for Von Lmo results in a very Swans-like sound, brutal and unforgiving. Fusing an urban tribal edge with hard heavy metal sensibilities, the songs crash upon the listener with an infinite growl and forceful vibration. No one escapes untouched, all are abducted by the space rhythms and transported to higher states of teeth-grinding transcendence.
The track "X+Z=0" follows this mode of intensity, with wall-of-drums and omnipresent bass. Crude guitar pyrotechnics squeal in your ears, thrashing with quantum passion and stellar brilliance. Von Lmo's vocals chant mathematical equations of extraterrestrial importance, urging the listener to reverse their own polarity and fall prey to the imbedded wisdom of sonic release.
The melodic impact of this music is exhausting, akin to being swept away on a solar wind of immeasurable power, a wave of sound that refuses to release you from its urgent grasp.
VON LMO: Future Language (CD on Flemishmaster)
Originally recorded in 1981, this 46 minute release has been reissued on CD for the edification of all modern cultures on this planet.
The genre may be heavy metal, but the music fuses other elements to achieve its sound. Passionate saxophone belts out a steady flow of extraterrestrial flair, lending the tuneage space age crazy jazz qualities. Hyperreal drumming generates a solid foundation for the searing feedback guitar and thunderous bass. The vocals are hoarse and commanding, delivering urgent lyrics that cry of tomorrow's cultural promise crashing into today's lifestyle.
The music is raw but hardly crude, hard-edged rock tuneage that grinds your teeth with primal sentiments as it expands your mind. Outer space is the main topic, clearly an obsession for Von Lmo. Possessing touches of spacey electronic effects, the focus is straight-on rock though, a blend of frenzied traditional R&B and punkified metal.
As with such music, you can expect critical guitar solos that blaze their way through the mix, burning riffs into your cerebellum with severe energy and relentless result. There are just as many sax outbursts too, as the horns scream for dominance amid the guitar, bass and drums tapestry. Do not expect the sax to sedate the music, for the sax has monstrous intentions, scheming with wild notes and surging passages to upset the balance of sonic power that seethes here.
Overall, the cumulative effect of this cacophony is invigorating. These dynamic songs are consecrated in galaxies in collision, flaring with interstellar fury and searching to impact with the listeners with explosive resolve. The music is devoted to merging the average man-in-the-street with their unrealized cosmic identity, priming all for a galactic union of purpose.
This release shares some of the same songs as "Cosmic Interception", although presented in alternate performances.
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