Charles Manson – Saints are Hell on Earth [1988; TPOS]

Reissued in 2016 in abridged form as Walking in the Truth, this album captures material recorded by Charles Manson to a personal tape recorder in San Quentin Prison in 1983 or 1985 (different printings of the album give different dates). A lone acoustic guitar is the only accompaniment to Manson’s voice, with rambling train-of-thought lines of lyrics and melody typifying most of the songs, which combines with the general fuzziness of the recording quality to produce a dream-like atmosphere for much of the music. Other inmates or guards can be heard in the background at times, while Manson occasionally drifts into wordless scatting, free association, and groaning. Arguably more appreciable as a mental peek than a selection of music, but distinctive either way.

Salem’s Pot – Live at Roadburn 2015 [2017; Roadburn Records]

With their first live album, Salem’s Pot pull from their last couple of albums, along with a single and a split, for five tracks of their heady, doom-drenched psychedelic rock. Playing freely with the tracks (the song pulled from the single, “Ego Trip”, is extended to more than twice its original run-time), the band brings more than a little jam flavor to its performance, which also leads to some interesting song transitions, like the harmonica linkage between “Pink Flamingos” and “Creep Purple”.

Despite the improvisations and elaborations that crop up, the band keeps the songs grounded with their hooky melodies and loaded riffs, and the intensification shown in the crescendos and other escalations is where the live renditions really show their fun. With the songs averaging out at about eight minutes each, there’s a good amount of material here, but it also suggests that the band could have easily put on a show of twice the length without flagging in their tranced-out heavy psych energy. Both a treat for fans and a strong intro point.

Bell Witch – Live At Roadburn 2015 [2018; Roadburn Records]

Recorded before the death of founding drummer Adrian Guerra, this live album captures the two-piece doom metal and Bell Witch in fantastic form, coaxing enormous-sounding caverns of slow-throbbing atmosphere out of their bass-and-drums combo. Opening with “I Wait”, from their debut album Longing, the band capably demonstrates their way with building up grand walls of sound while following a clear central melody, and with exploring the transitional cool-downs between those slabby passages.

Eating up the rest of the record are two tracks from Bell Witch’s sophomore album, Four Phantoms, which would be the last to feature Guerra. “Judgement, In Fire: I – Garden (Of Blooming Ash)“ leads the way out of “I Wait”, with
clear and focused melancholy

pulling across bridges and measures of crushed mournfulness, both a breather and an intensification of purpose.

“Suffocation, A Burial: I – Awoken (Breathing Teeth)“

expands the suffocated rumblings of the first track into fuller form, returning to the rough guitar timbre with a more even ratio of sadness and anger, and employing the wordless moans and groans to fine effect in complementing its despairing resonance. For just three songs, the band communicates some powerful emoting with expansive detailing, the instrumental tracks coming through with distinctive projection and clarity. An excellent performance, and a strong send-off for half of the original band.