Today, we’re thrilled to premiere “The Death Cult”, the new video from Baltimore-based power electronics artist Axebreaker.
Perhaps best known for his work as part of both Locrian and The Holy Circle, Terence Hannum records solo as Axebreaker: an explicitly anti-fascist power electronics project whose message grows more potent and relevant by the day in 2020’s America. His album Vigilance released just a little over four months ago and captured an already tense moment, but as the tensions have risen over these past months, the upcoming Eliminationism finds itself even more chaotic, unsettling, and foreboding.
Eliminationism is a single piece made up of six movements: “The Invisible War”, “Patriot Front”, “Fascist Graves”, “Expiation of Grievances”, “The Death Cult”, and “The Battlefront Is Everywhere”. Initially introduced with the flashing red images of American imperialism backed the aggressive “Patriot Front” (inferred as a critique of individuals who adopt love of country as excuse for reprehensible and callous behavior), Hannum now shares “The Death Cult”, or part five. When contrasted against “Patriot Front”, this movement perhaps possesses less outright fury and is more concerned with expressing the terrifying existence of the aforementioned death cult that has grown louder and larger over the past years. More subdued and ominous, “The Death Cult” is largely characterized by an ever present spacious hum. The composition is a bit more sparse and those extra spaces leave cracks for dread to creep in as the video shows brainwashed legions of neo-Nazis praise and salute the floating head of Trump in an eerie and surreal black-and-white picture. It’s easy and understandable to be disgusted by the words and actions of these puppets, but what “The Death Cult” instead pinpoints is the true horror of mass, blind groupthink that has emerged. These beliefs have always existed, but are now empowered by a popular figurehead: one with enough influence to perpetuate the idea that humanities worst qualities are not only acceptable but encouraged, that death, racism, exploitation, abuse, poverty are all good things. This organization and acceptance, this cult and the knowledge that so many can become so warped so easily may be the true terror.
You can watch the video for “The Death Cult” below:
You can also watch the video for Eliminationism‘s second part, “Patriot Front”:
Axebreaker’s ‘Eliminationism’ releases July 24th on CD and digital via Deathbomb Arc and is available to pre-order now. Be sure to follow Axebreaker on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with his work.
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