Happy Birthday "Despite Dense Weed"

[tinhuvielartanis]

This, my favourite Shriekback song, as anyone who has probably ever visited any of my online haunts already knows, was featured on a compilation album called The Birth of the Y, which was released in 1982. That makes the song 30 years old this year. Even though Big Night Music is the Shrieks' most influential album in my life, "Despite Dense Weed" is, by far, the most influential song, particularly on my writing. And it pops up from my subconscious onto the page in the damnedest of places. The latest example of this, isn't the song itself, but the description of the song.

"This - if I may make so bold - little gem was only previously released on the Y Records Xmas album, which may not have found the Total Market Penetration it doubtless deserved, so here it comes again. Inspired partly by the novel Riddley Walker (Shriekback required reading) and also by an Acid experience in a forest in which Vivienne Kent and myself experienced being predators of a blood-thirsty, lupine/vampirish kind, and, from the top of a tree contemplated a cosy little family out for a stroll with a view to slaughter and dismemberment (their only possible use). Ah, great days - and they still haven't found the bones (joke)." ~~ Barry Andrews

The aim to slaughter and the tree branch show up in The Waltham Phantom. I had never noticed that until I reread the song history on my You Tube channel. At any rate, it's been quite instrumental in the development and fleshing out (pun intended) of Cadmus Pariah*, being such a vicious bastard of a tune particularly because of its lyrics.

We had no breakfast , we made no attempt at Chivalry
We hadn't -yet- explored all of the avenues of ecstasy
We strode into the brambles with a predatory calm
Those days seem awkward- when we think about them now
The fork, the gristle and the pulse, the parts of me I like the most
My shivers when the fire goes out
The principles of hungry mouths
The balance here is delicate and is easily disturbed
All that keeps the dark back is a following of words
Glue on the hand-holds now flakes off the old iron now
Brew up a thick one now-shining a light in now
Shape like a heart's shape now, shapes like the branches now
We dream the next dream now, take up the slack wire now.
At the moment of the taking our excitement is the same
We understand the danger of the fanning of the flame
Desire the heart before it cools, affect the shame to look away:
Our confusion is a cousin of the panic of the prey
Shape like a hearts shape now, shapes like the branches now
We dream the next dream now, take up the slack wire now
Breath clouds the cold glass now-chalk on the shinbone now
Stuck to the driver now Arms through the arm-holes now
We hold the Life in one hand as the one who bakes the bread
(The erection at the hanging and the tearing off of heads)
Stand elated at the burning --all our murders look the same
We are the thought and the display, the explanation and the side-effect

It is, in every way, a terrifying and phenomenal song. I'm including the studio version and the live version, which is essentially an onstage ritual where a Cone of Power is raised and grounded. The effects are quite striking, and I think the Shrieks achieve their goal both musically and ritualistically. What the ritual was, I can only guess. In fact, I have never been told it was a ritual, but people who know some about the working of Magick know the signs. Much like all the symbolism in 'Nemesis.' It's there.

Anyway, happy 30th birthday, 'Despite Dense Weed!' Long may you slaughter!

*It should be made clear that Cadmus was 11 years old when the above explanation of the song was released on 'Aberrations 81-4.' I had heard the song several years before that. Just so everyone who may read this knows...