Kanlı by Eryth

Presenting 'Kanlı', the latest in the Eryth 'Music for Dune' series.

I've long had the idea to produce a Harkonnen instalment - something more dissonant and depraved, just like the Baron. I'm not sure I've quite managed that, but I still think this works well as an Eryth-tinged post/prog/death metal EP. Various riffs collected over the past year or so, which have been pulled in and out of various demo forms for quite a while, and assembled into three loose 'songs', though the EP is meant as a single piece with recurring motifs and themes throughout. The album cover image is 'New Planet' by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, expanded using AI and incorporating the 'Eryth square'.

Various influences, from 'wonky' DM such as Horrendous, Tomb Mold and Wallowing, to some of the 90s weirdness from Pan-Thy-Monium and Karaboudjan, as well as Nile, Aborted, Aosoth and Slayer. I suppose some of the usual post-metal suspects crept in nearer the end, as well. I'm very proud of the thick tar-like tone I got from the guitars, which I think sits just right for the types of riff - any more complex and it would descend into a mess. Added instruments are various drones, brass including an unsettling 'pathetic trumpet', as well as drones and noise machines for colour and texture. For the first time, 'proper' decipherable vocals, which were probably the most fun part - a great opportunity to get some proper 'metallenglish' on record, and tie the EP together narratively. See the individual tracks for lyrics. The story tells of the final stages of the Atreides-Harkonnen feud (known as 'kanly' in the books, here stylised closer to the original Turkish word) ending in the raid on Arrakis, with the Baron ranting to anyone within earshot about his dastardly plans.

Yueh's Premonition
Intended as a short opener to set the tonal scene, this is blatantly ripped off from an opening on the latest Horrendous album. A quick squall, representing Dr Yueh waking from a feverish nightmare as he comes to terms with his betrayal, followed by the EP's main recurring riff, topped by duelling guitars spiralling out of control. The start of the dual-lead solo and the solo during the drone are both renditions of the opening trems from the later 'Siege of Arrakis'

Dissolute Schemes
Chronicling the planning of the attack, this features two hefty riffs I'm very proud of, as well as a classic Nile-style ranting interlude and guest solo from Matt Worledge. The interlude was written on the fly, but worked so well I barely changed it form the demo. I can't take much credit for the excellent under-solo riff, which is stolen from an Aborted song. A return to the main riff and a final few bellows, and the track descends into chaos. The demo for this song sat as 'dissorope' for quite some time as the temporary names of the main riffs, so I had to find something related to that for the title.

Siege of Arrakeen
An opener of an intertwining slinky tremolo (later recurring with its harmonised cousin) and a dissonant sludge riff, representing the heat of battle, before settling into a mournful interlude as the battle descends into chaos. The song then builds back up as the Baron gloats, realising his victory over the Duke (monologue taken from the 2021 film), before ending triumphantly over reprise of the main riff from 'Schemes', and another set of spiralling solos. Brass is from the Spitfire BBC Orchestra and LABS sample packs, which is a great variety of free sounds - I love the 'pathetic trumpet' sound, which evokes an exhausted soldier claiming a hard-won victory.

Twisted Mentat II
I really like the drone that acts as an interlude between the main tracks, which evokes some desolate planetary wasteland. I'm not entirely sure, but I somehow managed to capture some ephemeral 'NIN-ness', specifically the glassy enveloping mids of 'Corona Radiata' from The Slip. I expanded the drone, which is two LABs synths, passed into my own bass guitar chain as well as into TV-like distortion, into a longer piece, recycling solos and brass from the main tracks. These are passed through my usual bag of effects tricks - Almirezh's 'sparkles' and 'groaning drone' patches. It's a more peaceful, but still unsettling, counterpart to the main piece.

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