On The Shadow out of Tim, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets have finally produced an album that successfully manages to mix their weird brand of humor without sacrificing the crawling horror of the work of their inspiration, H. P. Lovecraft. The Shadow out of Tim is a re-telling of the HPL story “The Shadow out of Time”, a “rock opera” in the parlance of our times. Most of the music is catchy, but straight-ahead rock with tinges of punk and heavy metal providing a bit of flair. The notable exceptions include “Chapter V: Return To Melanesia”, a mostly percussion/vocal based number and “Chapter IX: Ride The Flying Polyp” which provides a charmingly entertaining King Diamond impersonation by Toren Atkinson, the lead singer. It should be noted that Toren has a gift for making HPL-style vocabulary sound absolutely normal in the context of a rock song. Given HPL’s tendency to use turgid and florid prose more often then not, this is a true talent.

The most impressive bit about this album is how it slowly sucks you into the creeping horror of Tim’s plight. The songs start bouncy and charming and slowly get darker and more foreboding as the situation unfolds. Luckily, the Thickets avoid the biggest risk with more serious material and never become turgid parodies of their normal fare, instead opting for a Lovecraftian less-is-more tactic, narrating their narrator’s shock at what he sees inside of explaining exactly what he is terrified of. Somewhere, Nyarlathotep is smiling.

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The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. (2001) Spaceship Zero: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Vancouver: Divine Industries, Inc. $8.99

Spaceship Zero is a soundtrack album for the RPG game of the same name. Put out in 2001 by a Lovecraft/Mythos rock group operating out of Chiliwack, B.C. since 1992, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, the album is a bouncy tribute to ’50s and ’60s space-opera film and television. It doesn’t take itself even remotely seriously and comes across like Buck Rogers on crack. Tracks like the mostly-instrumental title theme, “Spaceship Zero”, and “Twenty Minutes of [Oxygen]” are unabashed space opera of the kind you’d find in early Robert Heinlein. The instrumental “Oblivion” could have come straight out of Logan’s Run and sounds a bit like Vangelis. Songs like “Power Up” have a more anime/superhero flavor by way of Power Rangers, while tunes like “Frogstar” and “Requiem for a Clone Hunter” spoof Star Wars and Flash Gordon. “The Math Song” is about math because “You got a brain/and nobody really needs another love song.”

Though the song titles indicate a rather less Lovecraft-influenced album than many of the group’s other 15 cassettes and CDs (like Cthulhu Strikes Back from 1995, or their latest, The Shadow Out of Tim from 2007), Spaceship Zero does still include tracks like the bouncy classic “The Innsmouth Look” (which has been doing the rounds on Twitter in the past week or so) and “Sounds of Tindalos”. “The Innsmouth Look” is about a guy who goes on a date-gone-bad on the beach with a girl from Innsmouth: “One glance is all it took/She gave me the Innsmouth Look.” Or it would be bad if the narrator weren’t already acquainted with “Father Dagon”. So, I guess that makes her the perfect date for him. “Sounds of Tindalos” (about the hounds of Tindalos, who can appear out of corners) appears to be from the viewpoint of creatures of the outer darkness dragging down a helpless victim to insanity, or maybe the staff of the psych hospital asking said victim what he’s seeing: “Struggle not/to be free/Tell us all/what you see.”

“The Chosen One” sounds like road music for the Winchester Brothers as they speed their way through a Mythos universe (It samples “The Innsmouth Look” at the beginning), though the album predates Supernatural by four years.

Spaceship Zero seems to exist in an odd place, genre-wise. I’ve seen it variously described as “blues” (it’s not), “rock”, “punk rock”, “horror punk”, “geek rock”, “powerpop” and “nerd rock”. You could argue for the last category, if you consider anything with lots of sound effects and scifi dialogue in it “nerd rock”, too. But this feels more like hard rock of the garage-band variety that sometimes (”The Innsmouth Look” with its pounding bass line) tips over into metal along the lines of bands like Stabbing Westward. If you like Metallica and don’t mind something somewhat quieter, this could be up your alley. If you’re into rock and Mythos, you need to check this band out.

Interested in purchasing this CD? You can listen to it here or you can buy Spaceship Zero from Amazon.com.

This past week, I’ve been listening to The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets’ newest album, “The Shadow Out of Tim” (no, not a spelling error). This jaunty CD from a Lovecraftian band loosely follows the themes of HPL’s “The Shadow Out of Time,” mixing in a few of his other creations like Nyarlathotep for good measure. Generally, explicitly Lovecraftian music is quite rare, and the Thickets take this a step further by cultivating a unique style detached from the expected dark, ambient, eerie hymnals. In fact, clarifying said style is no easy task, though they might best be called punk rock with a very specific focus on musically rendering the best of HP Lovecraft.

Pleasantly, at least to this listener, the Thickets also seem to exhibit a fair amount of influence from classic rock. Undoubtedly, they are under the tow of the first Lovecraftian band to originate in the murky psychedelic era of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the group which called itself HP Lovecraft. However, it must be said this predecessor actually produced only a few songs specifically based on the written work of the Old Gent from Providence. Fortunately, the Hillside Thickets greatly outdo the earlier band in this regard, even if they bear a faint stamp of their style. The Canadian musicians released this latest album on June 21st, 2007, and it bears a distinct, yet improved resemblance to earlier releases like “Let Sleeping Gods Lie” and “The Great Old Ones.”

One of the Thickets’ greatest skills is arguably the swift incorporation of catchy background melodies and experimental sounds into a greater set of lyrics, which follows the story in each song (and, in this case, across the whole CD). On “The Shadow Out of Tim,” this is most evident in the tracks “Blackout,” “Return to Melanesia,” “Cultists on Board,” “and “Ride the Flying Polyp.” Yet, in a few instances, some might find the same shrieking harmonics, whistles, and experimental grindings in these pieces a bit overwhelming, whereas others will lap them up excitedly.

Even through an artsy cacophony punctuating some of the songs, the listener will find the adept storytelling skills of the Thickets at work. The changes in rhythm and pitch are usually spot on with the lyrics, effectively conveying appropriate shifts in mood, imagery, and the course of the story. As anyone familiar with HPL will know, this tale involves the Great Race of Yith reaching [forward] through time to temporarily exchange minds with the hapless narrator. While the Thickets retelling veers somewhat from the original text, it still captures the essential themes of cosmic awe and overwhelming fright Lovecraft himself sought to present in the story. This is, perhaps, best summarized in the track “Some Things Man was Not Meant to Know.” This, above all else, is the greatest merit of the Thickets here. After playing through the fifteen tracks on the CD, one feels as though the roller coaster ride has come full circle, and the price of admission satisfied.

As alluded to above, this is not for everyone. Some darker souls will lament the lack of a traditional Gothic slow, ambient style. Others unappreciative of punk or classic rock may similarly find themselves dissatisfied. Still, beyond personal musical preferences, for the Lovecraftian admirer there is almost certain to be a treasure trove of interesting gems lurking in this album. It is, with few exceptions, worthy of placement in the halls of both cosmic horror and tasteful music.

There�s really something great about music that can be both everyday listening and specially suited for getting you in the Halloween spirit � such is The Shadow Out of Tim. The latest release from The Darkest of The Hillside Thickets, the bulk of this � as is most of the group�s material is inspired by the works of horror literary legend H. P. Lovecraft. In fact, so complete is the connection that this group was given a whole chapter of my book The Strange Sound of Cthulhu � Music Inspired by the Writings of H. P. Lovecraft. The cover, title and a lot of the lyrical content on this disc are directly related to that author.

There was a break of quite a few years between the group�s last release and this one. While that might have been hard to take for their fans (I count myself among those), it really paid off. The sound on this album is much more accessible and polished than that on any of the other releases. They still manage to maintain all the elements that fans have grown accustomed to � darkly humorous lyrics, punk meets hard rock music, a great spirit of fun and adventure � and, of course, the H. P. Lovecraft connection. It�s just that this time around they�ve polished off a few of the rougher edges. The disc shows a higher level of songwriting and instrumental (not to mention vocal) proficiency. Both of these things go a long way towards making this not only their best release, but the most likely to attract a more mainstream fan base. Mind you, this is nowhere near the music you�re likely to hear on the radio (thank god), but it�s certainly requires less of a learning curve than their other music.

If you have a spirit of adventure when it comes to music, be sure to check this one out. If you are a fan of punk and quirky hard rock this also comes highly recommended. It�s a given that all fans of H. P. Lovecraft will want to pick this up immediately. The truth is, though, if you�ve ever wanted to take a chance on something that�s definitely outside of the box, but also entertaining, I can�t think of a better place to turn.

5/5

I�ve been a fan of The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets for years. Their music is usually based around H. P. Lovecraft�s mythos and that has endeared them to me. In fact, they earned a whole chapter in my book. Well, this is the latest installment from the group � after quite a few years with no new recordings. The time away has definitely paid off as this is their best album and has a more polished sound that works well to making it more accessible. The thing is, they�ve achieved that without the loss of any of their quirkiness or integrity. The cover is incredible, with its total homage to the paperback H. P. L. books. The story is a modern retelling of the story The Shadow Out of Time � with the title derived from the main character in TDOTHT�s version � Tim.

For those looking to check out this band for the first time I can heartily recommend this as the first helping. I�ll be doing a more detailed review (at least more in line with the Lovecraftian connection) in an Amazon Short soon � and that will be integrated into a newer edition of the book � should that happen � down the road a few years. For now, let�s just say that this is the best album from The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets � and that�s saying a lot.

Track by Track Review

Prologue: Theme To An Earthquake: This is a short track that�s basically cultist chanting and doing rituals. It�s quite an interesting track, mostly rhythmic in nature.

Chapter I: A Marine Biologist: Here they launch into a killer retro rock riff that�s one of the best the band has ever put together. This track has an almost Beatles-like approach in terms of the vocals on the verse. When they launch into the more punky jam for the chorus, it�s in more typical Thickets fashion. They drop it to a slower paced grind later and crank out some decidedly stoner rock sounding jams. The psychedelic overtones return here in some ways. After a false ending they return to the central themes with some cool echoey guitar soloing.

Chapter II: Blackout: This one pounds in with the most trademark Thickets sound we�ve heard thus far. It�s a fast paced, crunchy rocker that includes some retro keyboard elements. It�s definitely a highlight of the disc. There is also a cool bass driven instrumental segment later and when they come back out the textures are really interesting.

Chapter III: No Way: Percussion serves as the introduction here. When they bring in the other instruments, it�s in a tentative, stripped down arrangement. They power to a more full treatment on the chorus.

Chapter IV: Strange: Here we get another tasty slab of the sound we�ve come to love and expect from the band. This one is pretty straightforward, but there�s nothing wrong with that.

Chapter V: Return To Melanesia: A rather dance oriented percussion sound starts things off here. Vocals join in this great mode that reminds me of something from Bobby McFerrin � wow, never thought that name would show up in a review of a Thickets disc. The thing is, McFerrin was well known for creating what sounded like instrumental music through the use of his voice. That�s precisely how this song is laid out. It�s definitely a change for the group, and a great one at that.

Chapter VI: Cultists On Board: This is based on a killer riff. While it�s fairly typical Thickets, it has some newer edges to it. The guitar lines at times are back in that heavy psychedelia motif. This is another standout. The breakdown grind in the middle of the number reminds me a lot of early Rush. Next up we get some melodica. This gives way to a reprise of the main themes to take the track out.

Chapter VII : A “Need To Know” Basis: This comes in with a very frantic metal motif. At times this track feels a bit like Hawkwind to my ears. It does turn more punky as they carry on, but the guitar solo section is quite firmly entrenched in the world of heavy metal. This also might be the tastiest guitar work to appear on a Thickets disc. It�s another place where I can hear some minor hints of Black Sabbath. That melodica from the last track returns.

Chapter VIII : Operation: Get The Hell Out Of Here: I have to throw out some kudos for the title here. I�m reminded of a scene from the John Carpenter classic Assault on Precinct 12 (the original � I haven�t seen the remake). At one point a person trapped in the jail � actually a prisoner released to keep him from being shot � declares, �I call this Operation: Save Ass � I�m going to walk through that door and run like hell.� Musically this is another changeup for the band. After a percussion intro we get a riff that feels like it could have come from Molly Hatchet. They drop it down to more bluesy territory for the verse, but power back out on the choruses. I can hear a bit of Golden Earring�s �Twilight Zone� on those verses. In another bonus, the cool instrumental break includes cowbell � you can never get enough cowbell.

Chapter IX: Ride The Flying Polyp: The Thickets seem to need to open up a store called �Riffs R Us,� as here we have another great one. It�s metallic and frantic. The odd falsetto on the vocal line seems like a spoof on some metal vocalists. In any event, this song is quirky as hell and also very cool. The guitar solo section seems to have a rather epic metal texture to it.

Epilogue: Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know: It didn�t seem possible, but they get even more metallic with this heavy duty stomper. The riffing once again is just plain incredible. It seems like every song on this album is a highlight, but that�s not really possible is it? Parts of this one almost feel like prog rock.

Footnote: Sleestak And Yeti: Anyone for a marathon of �Land of the Lost?� For those who are old enough to recall, that was a great live action Saturday morning show way back when. Well, the Thickets connect it to Lovecraft with this hard rocking number that is yet another in a stream of killer pieces.

Footnote: Downtown (In The Cenozoic): Starting with just vocals, when they jump into the song proper it�s in a great hard rocking, punk sort of mode. They turn in a really strange, angular section later. While it�s odd, it�s also exceptionally cool.

Appendix: Nyarlathotep: Percussion leads things off here. When the other instruments join, it�s in an extremely dramatic metallic romp. The lyrics to this song are in Middle Egyptian, perhaps? The music does, appropriately, have a bit of an Egyptian texture later. An echoey, almost jazzy, guitar solo adds to this musical vision.

Unlisted Track: So, this is only 18 seconds in length, it’s set as a separate track. It’s basically more of the chanting that opened the CD, making for a nice bookend.

The 1913 Lovecraft short story of alien mind-swapping has been moved into the present, as modern-day marine biologist Timothy Vess is possessed by an alien intelligence, learning terrible truths about life; rapidly descending into madness to a soundtrack of goofball nanana’s, handclaps, whistles, simple guitar riffs and foot-stomping percussion. Any reader with a passing knowledge of Klingon syntax has already heard some of these songs, as the Thickets have played almost every Comic and SF/Fantasy convention on the planet since their last release. Their concert experience shows – while still sophomoric in both approach and attack, DOTH have become much more proficient as musicians, and this CD zips along at an invigorating pace. These guys have learned how to keep a crowd bopping, and surprisingly have managed to transfer that live energy into their studio recording. The narrative content is very much secondary to the overall groove, as Warren Banks’ guitar builds and swells in smashing crescendos, and Jordan Pratt pounds out a consistent rhythmic underpinning that was missing from previous DOTHT releases.

‘The Shadow Out of Tim’ all adds up to a fun listen, a self-proclaimed rock ‘n’ roll tour ‘through space and time, painting sonic pictures of the ocean deep, mysterious ruin-covered islands, and Paleocene jungles’; The insert booklet even comes with an glossary for people who cannot tell an ammonite from a creodent. A nice step forward for the band, and an affirmation for the converted.

There are few things more bizarre than a British Columbian rock band recording a faux-soundtrack to a German sci-fi show from the 70s. There’s nothing to stop the bizarre from being wholly kick-ass, however, and this album proves the rule. The Thickets have made a career out of being weird: the quintet from Chilliwack B.C. have released two disc-long homages to the horror of HP Lovecraft, but with their most recent album, they’ve shifted from Cthul[h]u to cheesy space opera. A full-blown concept album, Spaceship Zero recounts a narrative of Clone Hunters and slave ships. The lyrics aren’t any more inane than typical pop-punk fare, however, and there’s far more charm to “Math Song” – whose lyrics are mostly made up of mathematical formulae – than to the latest Blink 182 single.

The Thickets rip through their tunes with noisy precision, the instruments and vocals providing a tight mix of crunchy punk stabs and pop licks. Bouncy drums back energetic guitar-lines, carrying song after song into the realm of outstanding Foo Fighters-esque rock’n'roll. Toren Atkinson’s vocals climb from a dark growl into mischievous punk sing-alongs, and he invests the absurd lyrics (replete with They Might Be Giants whimsy) with just the right degree of earnesty. The Thickets are aware of the silliness of their project – the liner notes include an illustrated short story, and the CD’s got some interactive video-game features – but they revel in it to the point that the listener feels s/he can laugh along with them. Rather than singing mopey songs for the dumped, the Thickets opt to play anthemic tunes to space calamities (“20 Minutes of Oxygen”) or rock out in incomprehensible German (“Dies ist unverschamtheit”). As a result, this potentially embarassing experiment is transformed into a fun, utterly listenable delight, and a perfect antidote to the everyday greyness of life on planet Earth. Outstanding.

I don’t really know what’s going on here, but I think I like it. Apparently Spaceship Zero is the name of a very strange German TV show from the 1970s, which in turn was based on an American radio drama series from the 1950s. Those wacky Germans. Someone in Hollywood decided to make a movie of the show, but somehow it didn’t work out, which is why you’ve never heard of the movie (although you can check out what might have been at http://www.spaceshipzero.com). Before it didn’t work out, Vancouver’s favorite costume-wearing, H.P. Lovecraft-inspired punk-pop band (those wacky Canadians), The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, was asked to do the soundtrack for the film, which resulted in the creation of the CD currently under review. Okay?

There’s something very strange about this disc, and I think that it has to do with the fact that it’s quite difficult to tell if this is an elaborately conceived and executed hoax (i.e. the soundtrack to a non-existent film), or if it’s just a case of a very good match between a band and a movie. In the end it doesn’t really matter, as most of the songs on this disc are strange and interesting regardless of whether they’re really inspired by a film or not.

So what does the soundtrack to a doomed film sound like? Pretty good. Musically, things stay on the poppier side of the punk-pop equation, although there are a few goofy nods to both dopey electronica and cheeseball heavy metal. The sound and production on the disc are terrific and the playing is tight and clean. Toren Atkinson’s vocals are exceptional, and he manages to make even the goofiest of lyrics sound cool (watch out Thurston Moore!).

Speaking of which, it’s really the lyrics that make these tracks more than slick, well-recorded pop songs. That’s not to say that they’re always particularly good lyrics, but at least they’re always interesting. In fact, they’re often pretty good.

Probably my favorite track is “The Math Song”, which includes the line:

(x[tan n]) – (pi/10) = -9
and is sung in quite a lovely manner. I find myself singing along with “The Chosen One” despite undecipherable lyrics like:

Like the star in the stone Of the elder thing
Like the deal that we made With the morlock king

And who could resist a song (“The Innsmouth Look”) with sexy lines like:

I dig her batrachian lips
Her bulbous eyes and scaly hips
She’s got secrets but they’ll soon be mine

and:

Obed was a sailor,
He sailed the 7 seas
He made love to the fish, he made love to the fishies

Not me!

So…this is a pretty strange CD. On the surface it seems like a slick soundtrack to a movie you’ve never heard of. As you dig deeper, you discover that it is the slick soundtrack to a movie that you’ve never heard of, but it’s slick in all the right ways, and in addition to being slick and really good sounding, it’s also very, very odd. That can only be a good thing.