The Process

The Process -‘Ceremonial Dagger’ (mp3)

Spurred by a bloodied barrage of tribal palpitations and interrupted by a shrill Indian call, I feel as if I’ve been chased into the forest by spear wielding banshees dressed up as members of New Order demanding their supper. Ceremonial Dagger is a colossal offering from an assemblage of four buccaneers – August Skipper, Saxon Jorgensen, Felix Davis and Vijay Singh who form Melbourne outfit The Process.

Erupting into a sinister chronicle with all the dynamo of an Indiana Jones installment, August Skipper’s brooding vocals alternate against menacing fits of guitar spells and acute pulsing drums, forging an onslaught of tense dynamics. It is indisputable that post punk tendencies coil through the Process’ ghostly sound. Definite Birthday Party/Bauhaus sounds exhumed here, with parallels to the same vacant sound built upon discordant minor progressions shared with other local gems in the same vein like Atrocities, Whores and The Nevada Strange.

This track dispatches like an intriguing tale; Jorgensen’s cascading riffs face off against Singh’s meticulous drumming resonates in shadows of intensity. Withering echoes of Skipper’s subtle vocals in the verse add a notion of unpredictability, giving the rest of us a brief moment to catch our pulse. Just like sitting in the cinema next to a dickhead who spoils the plot, I won’t give too much away. However, I just can’t shirk a mention of the climatic moment nearing the end – erratic screams, quivering ruptures of guitar, frenetic cymbal clashing, where the song’s narrative erupts into a complete mind blowing cacophony.

Mysterious, atmospheric and utterly alluring, the Process have enough bravura to rip all four of your limbs off and splatter the bloodied remains in a way that will leave you curious for more.

The Process cast a spell over The Tote in Melbourne this Friday the 6th of November.

www.myspace.com/processprocess