Cape Horn to Starboard - John Kretschmer (1986)

A charming, entirely unaffected story of a young man learning to sail and eventually rounding Cape Horn. Almost in passing, he mentions that two much better funded sailing vessels planning to do so at the same time, sank. I do not think anyone reading this could believe that Mr  Kretschmer was, at least by the time he got to the Cape, other than a very skilled yachtsman, but still his modesty and calm is inspiring. Though now I think I will stick to the Canal.

Doom over London 2016: the Saturday Sessions

Rumble

Sludge

I arrived at the Saturday Doom over London 2016 Session, on 26 March, to see the end of the King Goat (and admire the hood), followed by Eye of Solitude, who rumbled vocals with a magnificently slow, nosebleed- inducing bass rising to a fine double-time finale ('double-time' being relative and still splendidly slow). Though their second song was much the same. Torpor were quite interesting, a 3-piece with a more experimental sludge. Sea Bastard again mainly amazed by the tattoos on their guitarist, which however represented beasts of the sky, rather than the deep. Sea Buzzard, perhaps?


For Slabdragger, I thought I detected a riff from exposed guitars towards the end, but it was not confirmed; likewise Ataraxie entertained a dissonant three-guitar counterpoint at one point, which also failed to launch. I preferred Officium Triste, presenting a much fuller and more structured soundscape. Bossk brought an aimless though not exactly unpleasant instrumental, similar to the largely wordless Esoteric, who came dangerously close to drum and bass at some points. I found Hooded Menace heavy in a simple way, and largely uneventful. Moonspell closed with a theatrical presentation, at the poppy end of doom, a bit like Lacuna Coil but without such clear tunes or the Italian lady; although some think the Coil not that good either.

King Dude: 13 February, London

A kingdom for him
somewhere?

The venue was an upstairs room in the Lexington, a rather large pub near Islington which sells an IPA for £5.75 a pint. Where better to be insulted by a gin-swilling American 'King Dude' strumming, from time to time -- in the course of a shambolic performance -- of his love for the Dark One? In fact, I could not hear any of the lyrics, except when it came to "Lucifer's light", a song which was really rather good.

He was preceded by a guitar gentleman by the name of "Naevus", desponding like a Cohen without the poetry. But I, Melachi, liked best the first band, a three-piece "The Howling Truth" with a bass beating throughout like a heart over mixed with free-ish guitar solos.

In the Danakil depression

Convoy

I, Melachi ibn Amillar, being of unsound mind and body, did visit the Danakil depression, in Ethiopia on the Eritreian border, on a 4-day trip with ETT, booked (for $500, after some discussion) from Ephraim at the Africa Hotel in Axum, including "free" minibus transfer from there to Mekele. I wouldn't go on this trip again if you paid me $500, because the climb to the top of the volcano in the dark was really rather tiring and only fit for the young, or experienced trekkers, not helped by Alfar guides saying "let's go" whenever I tried to have a rest on the way down. The facilities everywhere were very basic, including two (surprisingly pleasant) nights under the stars. However the driver (Sirak) and guide (Solomon) and the cook were all very good. This was just as well as I confess I booked this trip mainly to get away with some other tourists from assorted beggars, chancers, children and dogs who were making the country rather tiresome, and so was surprised to find myself alone in the 'zero' landcruiser with these fellows, from time to time augmented by 2 guards with AK47s. Indeed security was plentiful, with half a dozen soldiers on top of the mountain, and another camp
being at a military base. The landscapes -- the volcano itself, the desert, camel salt caravans and sulphur fields -- were wondrous strange.

Cook (in green)

Strange

Africa Hotel, Axum, Ethiopia

I, Melachi ibn Amillar, being of unsound mind and body, stayed at the Africa Hotel, Axum, for a few days in November 2015. It is pleasant and clean, and the rooms are around a courtyard that could be nice. The restaurant was very large, though always nearly deserted, and the food was variable. This place has potential - perhaps this is why men with power-tools were renovating from 8am to 6 pm, though with a break for lunch, which means I cannot recommend it at the moment. Efram will try to book you on some good though expensive tours to the town and the churches. Axum itself is a dismal, poor town on which some international taxpayer, probably myself, has clearly spent a great deal of money to improve the road and infrastructure, but omitting to replace the people. I do not think that Ethiopians much like strangers and I think this is the only place I have ever abandoned a sightseeing stroll due to incessant "beggars" and "guides", indeed finally preferring the construction at the hotel.

Yeha, Tigray

I visited Yeha, an old temple near Axum, Northern Ethiopia. It is interesting to see a site so much earlier than the others, though since it is covered in scaffolding (of metal rather than the usual wooden variety seen in these parts) the effect is generally spoilt. I rather doubt the assertion of the guide that it had really remained standing since pre-Axumite times. There is a small church nearby with a few unremarkable items which the deacon wanted a payment to look at, and an excavation site from which not much can be made.  My guide picked up some cooking oil in the village, explaining bafflingly "none is available in Axum - because it is such a big town".

Debre Damo Monastery, Ethiopia

I did visit the Debre Damo Monastery in Tigray, Ethiopia, not far from Eritreia. It is necessary to climp up a cliff with a rope to visit this Monastery, which is not at all easy -- in fact probably impossible if you have not done any rope climbing since junior school very many years ago. Coming down is also rather scary as you cannot see where to put your feet. Without the assistance of my guide, who managed to crack his head several times against the cliff trying basically to raise and lower me on his shoulders, I would not have managed this! The monks at the top were kind enough to charge me an extra 50bir (£1.50) in addition to the standard 50bir for a pull on the leather-assisting rope, on the grounds that I was "heavy". Somewhat exhausted, they took pity and gave me a little water from an old can, which my guide assured me was safe to drink. In fact I spent the next half hour coughing up some dustlike substance I had ingested. I asked him again if he was sure the water was alright, and he said "of course, it is holy water, kept in the holes in the rocks. They scrape off the algae before drinking it". There is not much to see at the top, except some illuminated books, indeed I was in no state to look around much. The monks were not, however, beneath hitching a lift with us on to Adigrat.

The Mekele Martyrs' Museum

I did visit the Martyrs' Museum in Mekele, Ethiopia (40bir). It is quite a large complex, with a Soviet helicopter, jet fighter and library. The museum is filled mainly with photos and artefacts (guns, radios) of the Tigray Front's fight against the Derge (Mengistu's regime). Although some signs were in English, I did not find the historical succession of exhibits easy to follow. There were some pleasant coffee places near the assembly hall.

Witchsorrow

This sorrow

Brule blesses

I did watch Brule, Sea Bastard, and Witchsorrow at the Black Heart in Camden, London, on 14 August 2015. Brule played a very pleasant if unremarkable mid-tempo doom with high vocals. It would be delightful to see them again as a support act. Sea Basterds had some amplifier problems but when they got going played a extreme slow doom with rough vocals, a bit like Moss but with more form. 

Witchsorrow delivered not unlike a stripped down Electric Wizard. Though suffering in range a little from being a three piece, they certainly deserved an audience larger than the few dozen present.