Review of "Death Magick" by Keith Whitham;  WIRED Radio host and mastermind behind Deadlights, 

​

The opener here comes firmly under the heading of “Self-Explanatory Opening Tracks” as a very nasty sounding man announces the beginning of the debut release from XIII. Amid snarling, spitting soundscapes our man leaves us in no doubt that we’re in for a rather unpleasant ride….
XIII is the side project of the mean, Skinny Puppy influenced Ghostlike proprietor, Mr Mike Taylor from Washington State in the US. This project is deigned to be a softer and more melodic approach to brain death by total fright, and the introduction has certainly set us on the right road….

“Psionic Delusion” (I’m not sure if I’m saying it right) picks up the head that was left rolling down the road by the introduction, and gets running - and what a beauty it is too. Thin, bony percussion is accompanied by sharp stabs of black key synth. The vocal samples have to be heard to be believed – and I’m a Belieber…Picking up directly from where Ghostlike leaves off, there’s half-heard, deformed snippets of songs, conversations and other ghostliness the whole way through and its faintly terrifying. A wonderful track that dies suddenly and gives way to “They couldn’t stop the colors” (or “colours” as we say here in Lancashire…). To me the title is a bit of a mystery, though it may be an obvious quote that has passed me by. That happens a lot to me. This is a muddier affair, less coherent and equally as unsettling as its predecessor. Dissonant tones rattle the teeth in the sockets and the voices squirming in and out of the mix make your eyes cross in a most strange way. This sort of music takes time to understand, it’s not immediately accessible, but it’s a long long way from 3 hours of static or whatever shite some noise artists dream up. This is wonderfully talented production.
Ghostlike has dallied with voodoo-esque ritual sounds before and here in the form of “The Bornless Ritual” XIII arrives at the same stop. Reversed moans and chants slide around the tinkly bells, chilling the already chilled spine a little further before giving way to the eponymous séance that is the title track. This is faster, more urgent and has a panicked, eye darting feel to it. There is a tune in there somewhere – of course its backwards – and that singing woman does nothing for the nerves. Especially when she’s being chased by a wall of synthesised squelch, blood and guts and other horrors. This is a superb track – I’m not sure if people always unwittingly put a little extra effort in a title track, if it is the case – then Mike has really gone for it with this. A sure-fire masterpiece.
Sitting in the centre of this extraordinary album is the unnervingly named “They Grow Out Of It.” Here we are in a softer place, sadder and more melodic than the previous works. Soothing ladies reassure each other, not altogether convincingly, that everything will be alright. Naturally it won’t and that is borne out near the end once the bloke gets involved (always the case) but nevertheless there is certainly a moment here for your senses to take a rest and drink in the beauty of the sounds Mike has used for this. Beautiful stuff.
Creep time is upon us in the form of (big breath..) “I Saw What You Did & I Know Who You Are” Usually a terrifying sentence that you heard as a kid when you smashed a car window and some woman opened her door and looked at you (or was that just me..), this short, weird track immediately puts you in the shoes of the perpetrator. The accusing vocal sample assures you that you’re not getting off the hook and the dislocated, strange rhythms and sounds add to the confusion…Rumbled…
By now you should have got a grip of this album, it should be locking into place. “Where 1 meets 8” helps you settle into this dentist chair and sends you into a world of exceedingly odd dreams. You need three ears to capture everything that happens in this track, or at least a handy extra sense. It doesn’t sound busy on first listen, but soon its under your skin and you can’t help but try and capture everything that’s happening. And there’s a lot..
Enough of this niceness. “Is There Anyone We Need To Notify” is a straightforward slab of nastiness straight from Arkham. Again, there are riffs here, odd ones to be sure, but they are there and when they’re to the fore it sounds epic. This track is one of those that will get you a worried glance from your car-share mate, but you won’t notice as you’ll be gripping the wheel listening for the next part of the story. A superb work, one of the best on the album.
The closing tracks, The Storm of Tears and I Eat Darkness both hint that this project is going to be one of some longevity – and I for one certainly hope so. The penultimate track gets a little ploddy but around minute 6 changes direction and becomes another beast altogether. It ends abruptly and makes way for the album closer, a deathly merry go round of creepiness and haunted melodies, beautifully put together, full of unexpected moments and plot twists. Abruptly, and of course unnaturally, the album cuts off and dies, probably much like its intended victims..

It’s a tour de force in production techniques this record. Nothing is to be taken for granted, even a simple four bar beat doesn’t last long, cut down in its prime by some other fiendish idea or notion. Nothing is to be expected except perhaps unpredictability and a creeping sense of being badly unnerved. A triumph of a debut, and I hope for much more of the same, though I know of course it will be different….. and just as lethal.

Death Magick is out now on Polyglot Records, on a name your price basis - Find the link, head to the download room, and take a mate, you’ll probably need him for an alibi…