Mossy Oubliette and Ffortress are from my neck of the woods, the Mistress Oubliette located in Seattle and Ffortress up the freeway a bit in Everett. I’m always going to support my local dungeon synthers so I made sure to order a copy of their new cassette, Eaten By Rats.
Our introduction, “Midi Announcement”, lays the groundwork with it’s 1980s-straight-to-video-cassette-adventure-movie feel, intentionally lo-fi and unpolished. The ravens and theremin that follow on “Revelation” add just a hint of the undead, a walk through musty stone corridors, the light from our candelabra flickering in the drafty air and casting shadows everywhere. What lurks in the darkness? Is it nothing or… something? The vintage horror theme is the main undercurrent and one that I welcome, the emotional tone one of apprehension rather than terror, a fear of what might be out there even though your logical mind tells you it’s nothing. The truest horror is on “Sentenced”, the tearful lament off in the background as the narrator’s distorted and disembodied voice discusses our crimes is unsettling. Side A closes with “Church Bells”, their resonant chimes once again evoking a sense of old school horror films, the kind you want to watch late at night in black and white, the unexpected creaks and sounds of your own house causing your heart to skip a beat as you pull your blanket up around your chin… though perhaps nothing is as terrifying as the scream that closes out the last track and ends the album.
Eaten By Rats was put out on cassette by the Palmer House label and is available on the Mossy Oubliette Bandcamp page HERE, where you can also stream and purchase a digital copy. If you’re interested in some of Ffortress’ solo electronica you can give them a listen HERE.