No, it’s not 2024 music, nor is it from 1991 when it was first recorded. This is a timeless, avant-garde metal relic. Although nearly 35 years have passed since its creation, it was only released for the first time this June by Heaven and Hell Records, remastered by Robert Acquaviva, the producer behind works by MATAKOPAS, BLACKLIST, and others.
Contemporary, futuristic, and simultaneously infused with clear references to the 70s, MOTHFIELD’s sound is truly UNIQUE! Lyrically dark and introspective -often venomous- this album is as musically experimental and daring as it is masterful in performance. It is dangerously sharp, awakening listeners in the confusion it stirs.
MOTHFIELD embodies all the weirdness of New York’s 90s underground metal scene, condensed into four beings: Klozzner (keyboards), M’eric Sakhov (guitars), Reinfield Smith (drums), and Vladimer Traynerik, aka David Slife (vocals). These four members, and their one and only self-titled album, represent a truly progressive force.
If anything deserves to be called progressive, it is THIS album! Or, as founding members guitarist Sarkhov and keyboardist Klozzner described it when they vowed to create something unique, you might just call it “noise pollution in original musical form!”
The duo’s musical influences were as diverse as their compositions, ranging from 19th and 20th-century composers like Dmitri Shostakovich and Wilhelm Wagner to progressive rock acts like GENESIS and GENTLE GIANT. It’s no surprise that “Mothfield” would appeal to listeners who enjoy a variety of bands like KING CRIMSON, VANDER GRAFF GENERATOR, FRANK ZAPPA, later MR. BUNGLE, JONATHAN STEWART, FAITH NO MORE, and FANTÔMAS.
The band’s primary aim was to challenge the listener with emotional and unique compositions. To bring their vision to life, they recruited drummer Reinfield Smith, but the critical role of vocalist remained unfilled. After auditioning and rehearsing with several vocalists, they found their frontwoman in a female opera singer. Armed and ready, they booked their first gig at the iconic CBGB club in the spring of 1991, but she unexpectedly left the band shortly before the show. MOTHFIELD refused to cancel, demonstrating their unwavering determination and commitment to their music. Sarkhov then contacted David Slife, also known as Vladimir Traynerik, who had recently moved to the area. Slife was a retired vocalist who had previously sung in bands like the queerly unique LUFTWAFFE (as Wolfgang Von Slife) and the pomp-rock group MERE MORTALS in central New York during the 80s.
With only a few weeks to prepare for their gig in the Bowery, the quartet embarked on a relentless rehearsal schedule. The evening arrived, and MOTHFIELD took the stage, ready to showcase their unorthodox music and enigmatic, maniacal stage presence. The crowd, captivated by the band’s raw energy and unique sound, was left stunned, their expectations shattered.
MOTHFIELD continued to pick up gigs and eventually entered Big Blue Meenie Recording Studios in Hackensack, New Jersey, to lay down tracks. Tim Gilles, known for his work with hardcore legends like AGNOSTIC FRONT and S.O.D., took the controls. Together, Gilles and MOTHFIELD captured unadulterated progressive avant-garde chaos for the fringe and unhinged, defying convention.
Ten songs emerged from this experiment in sonic bedlam. Unfortunately, nothing was officially released, and only a few demo tracks on crudely recorded cassettes were shared throughout the underground. Interesting, discordant, and a far cry from the cookie-cutter music of the time, MOTHFIELD remains a staple for musical outliers, preaching agony and discontent in audible form.
The band continued to play briefly at legendary hotspots in New York City until inevitable differences, misfortunes, and life’s pressures caused them to dissolve.
“Stuck here
Fuck it!
Too late
Like a rainbow I’m gone
You can’t follow me
Now immersed in the play
I’ve written today
What more could I ask for
But turning the page?
It’s warm on the stage
I just follow my rules
And I wait for my curtain call”
“Mothfield” was released on June 21st by Heaven and Hell Records, both digitally and on CD.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
You can order the CD here.
