I’m sure the three beings who comprise Light Of Eternity would baulk at the word “supergroup”, but as they contain members of Killing Joke, Chaos 8, and The Ancients, no other word will suffice. Formed in August 2023, the band set about perfecting their dark art and released two stunning EP’s the following year (Edge Of Fate and Aftershock). Collateral collects those two releases on a limited edition CD to deliver eight tracks that seethe with anger and indignation. If you ever need proof that harsh times create hard music you need look no further than Light Of Eternity.
As regular readers will know I’m particularly fond of three-piece bands, there’s something so concise and powerful about such a combination that, when blended carefully, creates a sound far bigger that its constituent parts. The likes of Budgie, Motörhead and Venom had the magic, and so do Light Of Eternity; it’s an almost indefinable quality, a magic not of this world, but you’ll know it when you hear it. Take opening track ‘Edge Of Fate’, for example, it swings with menace and when the three musicians lock in, creates a feeling of something so big it can barely be comprehended. Like standing beneath a towering brutalist monstrosity, it casts a long shadow, crushing the listener with a weight of oceanic force. It’s a common thread that unites all these tracks, no matter in whatever guise the band appear, there’s always a propensity towards the large; humongous riffs, deep, cavernous drums and vocals which carry an ominous, authoritative tone. The result is songs such as ‘Explode’, the sound of a not-too-distant future that fills one with a kind of dystopian dread. It’s urban unrest and civil disobedience set to music and you can almost see the police cars aflame on ‘Tipping Point’.
Although barely six months separated the release of the two extended plays that comprise this release, you can definitely hear an evolution between the first and final four tracks, with the latter appearing sharper and more measured. The running time of 43-minutes makes this more of an album than an EP, and it can definitely be enjoyed as such with the two halves fitting together like a yin and yang. While it is perfectly feasible to dip in and out and enjoy each song individually, it’s best to set aside three-quarters-of-an-hour to appreciate the accumulative effect of this release, and not since Godflesh’s Streetcleaner have I heard such a sick set of jams.
Featuring Big Paul Ferguson (Killing Joke) on drums/percussion, Fred Schreck (Crush) providing vocals and bass, and Pauly Williams (Chaos 8) on guitars and synths, Light Of Eternity each bring a little of their past to this project, and while you can hear that Joke “punch” on many of the tracks, Light Of Eternity is certainly a springboard to a new sound. In fact, closer ‘Conformity’ offers a wormhole into another world and suggests Collateral is merely a beginning.
- Collateral is released via Cadiz Music and is available now.
- Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp
Track List:
- Edge Of Fate
- Lament
- Explode
- Tipping Point
- Aftershock
- Nebula
- Dark Hope
- Conformity
