THE BEAST

Texas-based extreme experimental audiovisual solo outfit PORNOHELMUT has completed its mind-numbing new album, Bang Lord. The madman has signed with French avant purveyors Atypeek Music for the album's primary release in February, this week issuing the cover art, a brief trailer, and other details of the album.

 

PORNOHELMUT is the work of one Neil Barrett, formerly of BLK OPS, The Dead See, and others. With this outfit, Barrett fires point-blank on all cylinders blasting a debilitating alloy of explosive drums/percussion, synths, vocals, and more at the listener. Live, the performance is doused in hyperbizarre visuals.

 

Bang Lord marks PORNOHELMUT's first studio album release, a multifaceted crystallization of industrial noise, punk rock, metal, experimental electronics, and violently enigmatic percussion that tests the boundaries and proclivities of underground music at large. The album was engineered by Neil Barrett at Hell's Kitchen, mastered by James Plotkin, and features artwork by Josh Paul.

 

Scope the first burst of PORNOHELMUT's Bang Lord through a brief trailer RIGHT HERE .

 

Bang Lord will hit the streets digitally through Atypeek Music on February 14th, 2020, with additional physical formats to be confirmed and announced in the weeks ahead alongside preorders, audio and video samples, tour dates, and more.

 

In addition to the impending Bang Lord album, PORNOHELMUT is creating a fully audiovisual album with Gridfailure as well as other projects to see release in the new year.

 

PORNOHELMUT first surfaced in the Texas underground scene in the winter of 2001. Early shows featured analog synth percussion, scrambled vocals, an effect-mangled guitar being beaten relentlessly, and crudely dubbed VHS mixtape-style visuals displayed on CRT televisions. During this time, the one-man act shared the stage with such wildly varied and esteemed groups as Mastodon, Genghis Tron, Jucifer, and Melt Banana.

 

PORNOHELMUT soon became notorious for irreverent and often jarring shows. The strong reactions of attendees only served to further fuel the intensity and fervor of the performances. The live show was once described by John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees as, "the most complex solo project since Captured! By Robots," and when asked about the act, Brent Hinds of Mastodon remarked, "What's he gonna do next, just start killing people? Seriously, I'm worried about that guy."

 

After relocating to Austin, PORNOHELMUT quickly blossomed into an all-out mind-bending audiovisual experience, incorporating synchronized animated visual projections and drum-controlled synths and samples, and was featured on showcases at SXSW among other festivals and events. The unique spectacle caught the eye of some internationally traveling artists, and soon several European tours came about, sharing billing with such acts as Mr. Marcaille, Chantal Morte, Tat2noisact, and Schlaasss. Subsequent tours both in the US and abroad have seen wide success, with performances at private parties at Burning Man and guest appearances on French radio bringing highlights.