Christopher Owens 
The relationship between art and the artist should really be quite simple in that we separate the two and can appreciate/criticise both without it crossing over.


Often, however, we find ourselves in a quagmire in relation to our personal beliefs and the art of someone who may share differing beliefs. 

Messengers of Deception is bound to invoke similar emotions.

Forming in 2013, Tau Cross began life as a way for Rob Miller to carry on after his previous band (the legendary crust-punk pioneers Amebix) ground to a halt the previous year. Recruiting people like Michel “Away” Langevin (from Voivod) on drums and Andy Lefton (from War/Plague) on guitar, it was clear that Tau Cross were going to be a formidable band.


Subsequent releases like the self-titled debut and Pillar of Fire proved that this conception was not mistaken. Building upon the epic crust sound of Amebix’s 2011 record (Sonic Mass), we ended up with two forward thinking modern punk/metal albums that were bellicose with righteous fury in their grander moments and with a tender, folky feel in the more introspective songs.

Last year, the group had recorded Messengers … and handed it over to their label. Advertisements were taken out and a release date announced. Suddenly, the group found themselves dropped and the album pulled from the release schedule.

The group’s label at the time, Relapse, said that:

Over the weekend the German magazine Ox brought it to our attention that a person named Gerard Menuhin was prominently thanked in the new Tau Cross album, and specifically credited in the liner notes for inspiring Rob Miller. All Relapse records go through a vigorous proofing process — checking for spelling and punctuation mistakes, mostly. We all read this name, but didn't recognize it or think that it was anything other than a personal friend of the band's, that we did not know. Ox however recognized the name as a far-right conspiracy theorist, focused specifically on Holocaust denial. Suddenly the lyrics and themes of the new record were cast in a new light, for me. I spoke with Rob Miller, who is the individual in the band who Ox was interviewing, and while he denied being a Holocaust denier, I cannot comfortably work on or sell a record that dabbles in ideologies such as these. There are certain issues that rise above mere political differences and this is one of them. I spoke with the rest of the band on Monday, and NONE of them had any idea who Gerard Menuhin was, and were as shocked by these references in the record, as we at the label were. I firmly believe that these references and mentions in the record do not represent the band as a whole. but rather just Rob Miller's. In light of all this, Relapse swiftly decided we cannot move forward with this album — we gave the masters back to the band, together with the rest of their catalog.

Subsequently, the rest of the band walked away, telling the press that:

…the four of us were informed that Rob Miller has submitted a thank you to a notorious right-wing author who none of us are familiar with. We promptly researched this author's history and we are adamantly against anything relating to this kind of ugliness. We've been vigilant in our attempts to get answers as to why this has happened and, frankly, how it could possibly happen considering our background and beliefs.

Miller has released two statements on the matter and, since then, has quietly re-recorded Messengers… for release on Easy Action Records.



This is a situation worth pulling apart for discussion, especially considering the “controversy” surrounding Michael Gove earlier in the year. First and foremost, it is not a crime to read material that you find morally reprehensible and as, Kenan Malik wrote, “…possessing a book is not the same as being sympathetic to its contents.” Indeed, reading such material is often the sign of a mind looking to understand how people manipulate data and selectively interpret events and testimony in order to come up with ludicrous statements, such as the Holocaust being a hoax. Learning what the opposite side say is how you refute their talking points. There is also the argument that creative types will always want to explore areas considered repulsive by mainstream society (such as murder, rape, racism etc) and so will use such texts in which to get themselves into a similar frame of mind (akin to method acting).

Miller’s appearance on The Meads of Asphodel’s 2013 album Sonderkommando could be cited as an example of this mindset. Described by Keith Kahn-Harris as an example of how metal can engage “…with the Holocaust in ways that disturb in a more productive way” through “…making their own position difficult to perceive, metal artists can ask difficult questions of the listener: Who are you identifying with? Who are the heroes? What is the source of your fascination?”), it’s an example of how far artists can go to make art that disturbs.

However, publicly thanking such a person like Gerard Menuhin (and thereby, implicitly, giving your seal of approval) is where questions have to be asked. Although Miller has not given any indication that he is a Holocaust denier, he will have to face questions about this for a long time. Indeed, I am deeply uneasy regarding the public thanking of Menuhin, especially because (based on his two statements) Miller doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. Then again, Noam Chomsky never apologised for Memoire En Defense, did he?

By this point, most will have made their mind up about whether they want to listen to this album or not. That’s up to you to decide. I am here, ultimately, to review the record. So here we go.

‘Yaldabaoth’ (often seen by Gnostics as the manifestation of the vengeful God in the Old Testament) opens the record and, straight out of the gates it’s a formidable Tau Cross riffer, almost a kind of rewrite of Amebix’s ‘Arise’ (which, combined with the title, suggests an intentional crossover). While the main bulk of the song is exciting as it is, the middle eight adds keyboards into the mix and swirls to an epic crescendo. Lyrically, it depicts a narrator gazing at the wonder of the stars and wondering how paradise could become a prison (some would say a metaphor for social media and modern life). The repetition of the word “infection” makes it a very 2020 song, especially with the payoff line that "Religion is our downfall."

Following on is ‘Hollow Earth’, where a crusty one chord riff gives way to an Iron Maiden style gallop, giving the feeling of riding into battle, while some plaintive piano work adds a sombre texture to proceedings. The song appears to be a shamanistic style call for a return to a simpler lifestyle with a warning about eco collapse. Vocally, Miller is on fine form here as he alternates between world weary singing and his ferocious bark.

‘Burn with Me’ was the first track previewed and it revealed a more NWOBHM style influence in the guitar lick, but with some machine-like chugging to contrast and compliment the lick. Gotta love the Motorhead style bass run in the pre-chorus, which is carried on through the guitar solo which sounds like Phil Campbell did a session for Tau Cross. Lyrically, there seems to be an overarching metaphor of truth equalling fire. While this sounds nasty, the narrator offers solace when he announces in the chorus "Take my hand/And burn with me." Combined with the music, it’s a soaring anthem of defiance.



‘Black Cadillac’ is an odd curveball as it combines seemingly fun imagery invoking Jack the Ripper and undertakers until it gradually reveals itself to be about secret police removing people from society, while ‘Violence of the Lord’ sounds and feels like it was recorded at a cliffside, owing to the echoey and (dare I say) folky bass riff, the power of the chorus and the main riff which could start hurricanes.

‘Sorrow Draws the Plough’ closes the album in sombre (but optimistic) fashion. The evocative acoustic piano line and strings compliment the narrator ruminating on the end of the world/beginning of winter but still finding solace in the beauty of the stars (a cyclical motif shared with the first song) and accepting that the environment will conquer and rebuild again once spring begins.

As a Tau Cross record, it does its job effectively without ever sacrificing the purity of the band’s sound. The riffs are bludgeoning and widescreen, while the rhythm section doesn’t just drive the songs, they power them. Lyrically, the general theme is that of fake news and the suppression of alternative narratives, with the odd bit of Ufology thrown in. Undoubtedly there will be those who will suggest that these lyrics are “dog-whistles” and, while they are entitled to that interpretation, there is nothing here that would suggest anything to do with Holocaust denial.

Miller once reflected that the crust-punk scene (which was meant to be filled with free thinkers and anarchists) were sheep like in their mentality, citing the example of so called crusties not mentioning anything about the Falklands until Crass has put out ‘Sheep Farming in the Falklands’ as a single. Such distain for groupthink is evident throughout Messengers of Deception, marking it out as a record about the trials and tribulations that we have felt in 2020.

A questioning, thought provoking modern punk/metal album that will spark passionate debate as well as get heads banging.



⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

Tau Cross ➖ ‘Messengers of Deception’

Christopher Owens 
The relationship between art and the artist should really be quite simple in that we separate the two and can appreciate/criticise both without it crossing over.


Often, however, we find ourselves in a quagmire in relation to our personal beliefs and the art of someone who may share differing beliefs. 

Messengers of Deception is bound to invoke similar emotions.

Forming in 2013, Tau Cross began life as a way for Rob Miller to carry on after his previous band (the legendary crust-punk pioneers Amebix) ground to a halt the previous year. Recruiting people like Michel “Away” Langevin (from Voivod) on drums and Andy Lefton (from War/Plague) on guitar, it was clear that Tau Cross were going to be a formidable band.


Subsequent releases like the self-titled debut and Pillar of Fire proved that this conception was not mistaken. Building upon the epic crust sound of Amebix’s 2011 record (Sonic Mass), we ended up with two forward thinking modern punk/metal albums that were bellicose with righteous fury in their grander moments and with a tender, folky feel in the more introspective songs.

Last year, the group had recorded Messengers … and handed it over to their label. Advertisements were taken out and a release date announced. Suddenly, the group found themselves dropped and the album pulled from the release schedule.

The group’s label at the time, Relapse, said that:

Over the weekend the German magazine Ox brought it to our attention that a person named Gerard Menuhin was prominently thanked in the new Tau Cross album, and specifically credited in the liner notes for inspiring Rob Miller. All Relapse records go through a vigorous proofing process — checking for spelling and punctuation mistakes, mostly. We all read this name, but didn't recognize it or think that it was anything other than a personal friend of the band's, that we did not know. Ox however recognized the name as a far-right conspiracy theorist, focused specifically on Holocaust denial. Suddenly the lyrics and themes of the new record were cast in a new light, for me. I spoke with Rob Miller, who is the individual in the band who Ox was interviewing, and while he denied being a Holocaust denier, I cannot comfortably work on or sell a record that dabbles in ideologies such as these. There are certain issues that rise above mere political differences and this is one of them. I spoke with the rest of the band on Monday, and NONE of them had any idea who Gerard Menuhin was, and were as shocked by these references in the record, as we at the label were. I firmly believe that these references and mentions in the record do not represent the band as a whole. but rather just Rob Miller's. In light of all this, Relapse swiftly decided we cannot move forward with this album — we gave the masters back to the band, together with the rest of their catalog.

Subsequently, the rest of the band walked away, telling the press that:

…the four of us were informed that Rob Miller has submitted a thank you to a notorious right-wing author who none of us are familiar with. We promptly researched this author's history and we are adamantly against anything relating to this kind of ugliness. We've been vigilant in our attempts to get answers as to why this has happened and, frankly, how it could possibly happen considering our background and beliefs.

Miller has released two statements on the matter and, since then, has quietly re-recorded Messengers… for release on Easy Action Records.



This is a situation worth pulling apart for discussion, especially considering the “controversy” surrounding Michael Gove earlier in the year. First and foremost, it is not a crime to read material that you find morally reprehensible and as, Kenan Malik wrote, “…possessing a book is not the same as being sympathetic to its contents.” Indeed, reading such material is often the sign of a mind looking to understand how people manipulate data and selectively interpret events and testimony in order to come up with ludicrous statements, such as the Holocaust being a hoax. Learning what the opposite side say is how you refute their talking points. There is also the argument that creative types will always want to explore areas considered repulsive by mainstream society (such as murder, rape, racism etc) and so will use such texts in which to get themselves into a similar frame of mind (akin to method acting).

Miller’s appearance on The Meads of Asphodel’s 2013 album Sonderkommando could be cited as an example of this mindset. Described by Keith Kahn-Harris as an example of how metal can engage “…with the Holocaust in ways that disturb in a more productive way” through “…making their own position difficult to perceive, metal artists can ask difficult questions of the listener: Who are you identifying with? Who are the heroes? What is the source of your fascination?”), it’s an example of how far artists can go to make art that disturbs.

However, publicly thanking such a person like Gerard Menuhin (and thereby, implicitly, giving your seal of approval) is where questions have to be asked. Although Miller has not given any indication that he is a Holocaust denier, he will have to face questions about this for a long time. Indeed, I am deeply uneasy regarding the public thanking of Menuhin, especially because (based on his two statements) Miller doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. Then again, Noam Chomsky never apologised for Memoire En Defense, did he?

By this point, most will have made their mind up about whether they want to listen to this album or not. That’s up to you to decide. I am here, ultimately, to review the record. So here we go.

‘Yaldabaoth’ (often seen by Gnostics as the manifestation of the vengeful God in the Old Testament) opens the record and, straight out of the gates it’s a formidable Tau Cross riffer, almost a kind of rewrite of Amebix’s ‘Arise’ (which, combined with the title, suggests an intentional crossover). While the main bulk of the song is exciting as it is, the middle eight adds keyboards into the mix and swirls to an epic crescendo. Lyrically, it depicts a narrator gazing at the wonder of the stars and wondering how paradise could become a prison (some would say a metaphor for social media and modern life). The repetition of the word “infection” makes it a very 2020 song, especially with the payoff line that "Religion is our downfall."

Following on is ‘Hollow Earth’, where a crusty one chord riff gives way to an Iron Maiden style gallop, giving the feeling of riding into battle, while some plaintive piano work adds a sombre texture to proceedings. The song appears to be a shamanistic style call for a return to a simpler lifestyle with a warning about eco collapse. Vocally, Miller is on fine form here as he alternates between world weary singing and his ferocious bark.

‘Burn with Me’ was the first track previewed and it revealed a more NWOBHM style influence in the guitar lick, but with some machine-like chugging to contrast and compliment the lick. Gotta love the Motorhead style bass run in the pre-chorus, which is carried on through the guitar solo which sounds like Phil Campbell did a session for Tau Cross. Lyrically, there seems to be an overarching metaphor of truth equalling fire. While this sounds nasty, the narrator offers solace when he announces in the chorus "Take my hand/And burn with me." Combined with the music, it’s a soaring anthem of defiance.



‘Black Cadillac’ is an odd curveball as it combines seemingly fun imagery invoking Jack the Ripper and undertakers until it gradually reveals itself to be about secret police removing people from society, while ‘Violence of the Lord’ sounds and feels like it was recorded at a cliffside, owing to the echoey and (dare I say) folky bass riff, the power of the chorus and the main riff which could start hurricanes.

‘Sorrow Draws the Plough’ closes the album in sombre (but optimistic) fashion. The evocative acoustic piano line and strings compliment the narrator ruminating on the end of the world/beginning of winter but still finding solace in the beauty of the stars (a cyclical motif shared with the first song) and accepting that the environment will conquer and rebuild again once spring begins.

As a Tau Cross record, it does its job effectively without ever sacrificing the purity of the band’s sound. The riffs are bludgeoning and widescreen, while the rhythm section doesn’t just drive the songs, they power them. Lyrically, the general theme is that of fake news and the suppression of alternative narratives, with the odd bit of Ufology thrown in. Undoubtedly there will be those who will suggest that these lyrics are “dog-whistles” and, while they are entitled to that interpretation, there is nothing here that would suggest anything to do with Holocaust denial.

Miller once reflected that the crust-punk scene (which was meant to be filled with free thinkers and anarchists) were sheep like in their mentality, citing the example of so called crusties not mentioning anything about the Falklands until Crass has put out ‘Sheep Farming in the Falklands’ as a single. Such distain for groupthink is evident throughout Messengers of Deception, marking it out as a record about the trials and tribulations that we have felt in 2020.

A questioning, thought provoking modern punk/metal album that will spark passionate debate as well as get heads banging.



⏩ Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

2 comments:

  1. Great piece of work Christopher - the instinct can often be to give this type of output a wide berth or tiptoe by pretending not to hear the riff. The writer is less effective when they block out what they should be free to write about. It isn't always easy but sure, we will always support you!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you AM.

      I've read quite a few reviews which have either not mentioned the controversy or tiptoed around it. On one hand, I don't blame the writers because who knows what sort of pressure (self-imposed or external) they're under. At the same time, the elephant in the room is incredibly vast so it would be remiss of me not to discuss it.

      Have had a few reactions along the lines of "lulz not going to read this cuz YAZIS!" Such stunning and brave behaviour from those meant to have an alternative mindset.

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