This time around we feature the CD collection of Forest Bohrer, performing as Adzes.
The first CD I ever bought with my own money was…
I think I bought two tapes together with my own money, and those were Pablo Honey by Radiohead and New Miserable Experience by Gin Blossoms. Creep was in heavy radio rotation at the time, and I was just entering my teen years having been exposed mostly to a scattering of records from my older brother and my best friend’s older sister. Creep’s heavy fuzz guitars, simple but powerful arrangements, and teen angst lyrics really grabbed me, but now I’d say that side B of that tape (Lurgee, Vegetable, Prove Yourself) was really the stronger set of songs. A solid tape that I wore out completely.
The CD that made me want to make music was…
Before I bought those first tapes, I had dubs of Metallica’s Black Album, Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction, and Nirvana’s Nevermind. The Black Album and Countdown in particular really got me wanting to learn how to play guitar, and I bugged my guitar teacher to teach me every single song on each of those two tapes. Never learned to shred as good as Marty or Dave, though.
The CD I’ve played more than any other is…
Honestly, probably Tool’s Aenima. This CD came out in my middle teens and just blew me away; I still have it but it’s covered in scratches and the case is pretty much ruined. Instrumentally untouchable, this was the first record that really got me into sprawling proggy song arrangements. Danny Carey is an absolutely master on drums, and the layering and just plain weirdness of the Adam Jones’ guitars on this record were engrossing. This is Tool at their absolute best, spare and echoing and pissed off, and musically it’s still a great work. The lyrics felt profound at the time, although I’m not sure they’ve aged all that well. And MJK’s antics were pretty well known, but recent revelations if his abuse (plus his extremely tone-deaf response) have really ruined his work and reputation, at least in my mind.
The CD that always make me feel good is…
Voivod, Dimension Hatröss. Proggy, weird, inventive, thrashy, all over the map. I’ve always been a huge fan of how the Blacky and Piggy wrote riffs together, and you can just put this record on and let the whole album flow. It’s impossible not to grin at the stadium chant of “Macrosolutions to Megaproblems,” or the eerie spoken word sections of Brain Scan, which were apparently recorded through a door intercom at the studio. A really fun album.
The CD I turn to when I’m feeling down is…
Type O Negative, World Coming Down. This was my introduction to the dyed-black, sarcastic yet romantic world of Peter Steele and co, and it’s heavier, more doomy, and more bummed out than October Rust or Bloody Kisses. I love Creepy Green Light, Hallow’s Eve, and Pyretta Blaze. I’m going to go put it on right now, in fact.
The CD with my favorite cover art is…
This is a tough one to answer, because there’s so much amazing art out there! Neurosis’ Times of Grace is a pretty clear winner, with its incredible wolf and fire woodcut art. I’ve spent long hours looking over those sigils and carvings while listening to the absolutely crushing guitars and avalanche of drums on that album.
The strangest CD I own is…
Probably Times of Grace’s companion piece, Tribes of Neurot’s Grace. The intent of this record was that you would set up two sound systems in a room, and put Times of Grace in one and Grace in the other; layering ghostly bells, static, drones, and spoken words over Times of Grace’s suffocating sounds. I’ve done this several times, and each play through is different due to imperfections in starting time. Grace also stands on its own as an ambient album worth listening to.
The rarest CD I own is…
CDs don’t seem to lend themselves to the rarity and collectability of vinyl, perhaps because they are a younger medium, but I am pretty proud of owning Ulver’s EP Silencing the Singing, which was a run of only 2000 copies. Three instrumental pieces of noirish electronic, jazz, and drone, it’s a beautiful and compact album in a gorgeous package.
The last CD I bought was…
I haven’t picked up physical media in quite a while, but I am awaiting two preorders I’m excited about. I finally ordered my first piece of vinyl, Redbait’s Cages 7″. Great people, awesome ferocious crusty hardcore with the occasional melodic interlude or wailing guitar solo. I’ve also ordered the Obaku/Without split tape from Tridroid Records. Sprawling, spacious doom by two great bands on an excellent label. I can’t wait to get each of them!
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Adzes’ debut EP, Climate // Capital, is four tracks of atmospheric sludge in protest against fascism and unfettered capitalism, available at adzes.bandcamp.com.
http://adzes.bandcamp.com
https://twitter.com/adzesband
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