Archive Review: Jarboe’s Thirteen Masks (2004)

The enigmatic Jarboe is best known as the musical partner and collaborator of Swans mastermind Michael Gira. A haunting vocalist with an impressive, expressive range and a captivating stage presence, Jarboe has placed a human face on Gira’s often musically oppressive songs. After recording a number of albums with Swans and Skin – an even more musically experimental side project – Jarboe stepped out on her own with Thirteen Masks, her surprisingly diverse 1991 debut. Reissued with three bonus tracks by Atavistic after having been out-of-print for a number of years, Thirteen Masks is worth seeking out for listeners who prefer their music to be unpredictable, exhilarating and intellectually challenging.

Jarboe’s Thirteen Masks

Recorded over a number of different sessions, the material on Thirteen Masks evidently reflects the artist’s vision and mindset at the particular time. Given the stylistic diversity and varied performances, one wouldn’t expect Thirteen Masks to exhibit the thematic and musical cohesion that it does. “Listen” opens the album with an almost prayerlike quality, Jarboe’s lonely voice accompanied by a ringing chime, random percussion, and meager string instrumentation. It is a haunting moment that sets the stage for what follows on Thirteen Masks.

The album quickly jumps into a higher gear, “Red” evincing a dancefloor beat and aggressive, often altered vocals describing various (unknown) aspects of the color red. It’s an interesting and intriguing bit of wordplay, playful and thought provoking with a cacophonic soundtrack. “The Believers” offers Jarboe’s ethereal vocals layered on top of staccato drumbeats and explosive instrumentation, the martial rhythms balanced by the song’s soaring lyrical imagery. “The Never Deserting Shadow” is a folkish, ebony-hued track with beautiful instrumentation and powerful guitarplay matching obsessive lyrics, reminiscent of Current 93.

Two of the most powerful moments on Thirteen Masks come near the end, and the two songs couldn’t seem more different on the surface. “Shotgun Road (Redemption)” pairs a delicate guitar track with Jarboe’s almost-whispered vocals. The reflective lyrics speak of love and salvation, frustration, and betrayal. The gentle nature of the instrumentation belies the fury that lies beneath the words. “I Got A Gun” is equally moving (and disturbing); the repetitive refrain of “I got a gun” an expression of self-empowerment, shouted over a pounding drumbeat and chaotic guitar. When Jarboe states authoritatively that “I won’t stop until I get what I want,” you have to know that it’s true! Of the three bonus tracks, “We Are the Prophecy” stands out, Middle Eastern influenced instrumentation and chanted melodies lying beneath the artist’s breathless vocals.

The Reverend’s Bottom Line

Jarboe is assisted on Thirteen Masks by Gira, Swans’ guitarists Clinton Steele and Norm Westberg and the ever-changing musical terrorist Foetus, among others. The album’s focus and direction are entirely Jarboe’s, however, the music an unreal hybrid of Gothic rock, industrial dance, and dark jazz with the heart of a Delta bluesman and the soul of a German cabaret singer. Jarboe’s emergence as a skilled songwriter is evident, her potent pen blending emotional resonance, spiritual yearning, and a strong defiance of conformity, creating unique and thoughtful lyrical poetry.

Thirteen Masks was a powerful debut, a fiercely independent album too often (sadly) overlooked in the overall discussion of popular music. Restored here with pristine remastering and an expanded tracklist, Thirteen Masks is well worth rediscovery. (Atavistic Records, reissued 2004)

Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide™ zine

Swans’ 1995 album The Great Annihilator to be reissued

Michael Gira’s Swans are one of the most innovative, influential, and enduring bands in the American rock underground. Formed in 1982 by Gira, the music of Swans defies easy categorization or pigeonholing – is it art-rock? Avant-garde? Experimental noise rock or post-punk? It’s all of these things and much more but, most importantly, it’s the sonic weapon with which Gira explores his immense creativity. Swans’ music may not always be pretty, and it always defies expectations, but it’s never less than a challenging, thought-provoking experience.

On April 28th, 2017 Swans’ ninth studio album, The Great Annihilator, will be reissued stateside by Young God Records and worldwide by Mute Records. The 1995 album will be released as both a two-disc CD and double vinyl set, and will also include Gira’s debut solo album, Drainland, which was recorded at the same time (the vinyl version of The Great Annihilator includes a download code for Drainland). The Great Annihilator was re-mastered by Doug Henderson after Swans’ member Bill Rieflin tracked down DATs and cassettes containing un-mastered mixes from the original recording sessions.

The band line-up for The Great Annihilator features Gira on guitar and vocals; the ethereal vocals of Jarboe, who also plays keyboards; bassist Algis Kizys, drummer Ted Parsons, and guitarists Bill Rieflin, Clinton Steele, and Norman Westberg. “I have long been uneasy with the sound of the mastered version of The Great Annihilator (and its companion, contemporaneous solo album, Drainland),” says Gira on the Young Gods website. “For whatever reason, things drifted out of hand at the time, and there was never enough time or money to untangle the sonic knots created by the original unsatisfactory mastering that took place until now.”

Continuing, Gira says “it was with the utmost alacrity that I received the news recently from my friend Bill Rieflin that he had discovered the original (after much digging), unmastered mixes for both albums in his archives. We were able to proceed now with lovingly mastering both The Great Annihilator and Drainland from these virgin sources, with our right hand mastering man Doug Henderson in Berlin, Germany. I have to say I'm rather pleased with the result. It’s one of those instances where it's like hearing the thing for the first time again. I hope you enjoy the experience.”

The Great Annihilator is the latest in a series of re-mastered reissues of Swans’ music, the 1995 album following the first vinyl reissue of Swans’ debut, Filth, along with a deluxe three-disc version of Filth that includes the original album, Swans’ debut EP, vintage live recordings, and more. You can order The Great Annihilator and other Swans’ music from the Young Gods Records website, where you can also check out some rave period reviews of Swans albums.