CORY STRAND "POSSESSION: A REINTERPRETATION (DELUXE EDITION)" 16CDR + DVD-R SET (AOW 385)

Andrzej Zulawski's 1981 Possession is a gorgeously insane excursion into the craziest recess of psychosexual supernatural horror, an amazingly acted tour de force for Isabelle Adjani, and one of very few films that truly deserves to be called "fucked up."  The first time I saw it i was utterly blown away, simply unable to believe what i had just witnessed.  I don't want to say too much more than that for fear of ruining it for anyone who hasn't seen it (if you haven't, it's absolutely worth your time!), but i'll just say that since that initial viewing it's become a favorite of mine, a disturbing and beautifully sickening film that belongs alongside some of the other crowning achievements of body horror, like Friedkin's The Exorcist and Cronenberg's The Brood.
The film's score, by Andrzej Korzynski, is equally as stunning, a collection of anxiety-ridden queasy orchestral drones and screeches that reference both Bernard Herrmann's sense of melodrama and Ennio Morricone's drug-addled psychedelic phantasmagoria of sound. 
This is the "deluxe" edition of my rework of the score, and it's beautifully over the top in terms of presentation.  16 discs, with each disc including both the noise and the ambient versions of my sixteen pieces crafted from the score, plus a noise "Totality" recording created from the film's entire audio track (just over two hours long, and not available in either of the stand-alone versions.)
Packaged in 17 separate DVD cases, each with their own full colour artwork utilizing my favorite images from and ephemera associated with the film.  All of the screen grabs were done by me personally, pulled from the blu ray release of the film published by MondoVision.  I wanted to really do this film and its score justice.
Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $150 ppd. in the United States, $166 rest of world.
ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "POSSESSION: A REINTERPRETATION (AMBIENT VERSION)" 4CDR (AOW 384B)

Andrzej Zulawski's 1981 Possession is a gorgeously insane excursion into the craziest recess of psychosexual supernatural horror, an amazingly acted tour de force for Isabelle Adjani, and one of very few films that truly deserves to be called "fucked up."  The first time I saw it i was utterly blown away, simply unable to believe what i had just witnessed.  I don't want to say too much more than that for fear of ruining it for anyone who hasn't seen it (if you haven't, it's absolutely worth your time!), but i'll just say that since that initial viewing it's become a favorite of mine, a disturbing and beautifully sickening film that belongs alongside some of the other crowning achievements of body horror, like Friedkin's The Exorcist and Cronenberg's The Brood.
The film's score, by Andrzej Korzynski, is equally as stunning, a collection of anxiety-ridden queasy orchestral drones and screeches that reference both Bernard Herrmann's sense of melodrama and Ennio Morricone's drug-addled psychedelic phantasmagoria of sound. 
This is the ambient version of my rework of the score.  It's full of haunting, vaguely melodic ambient drone, deeply bassy and dense with a sense of frigid psychedelia.  Just under four hours of music.
Packaged in a DVD case in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies, with a minimalist layout that complements my noise rework of the score (again, i love these designs-some of my fave layouts for AOW releases.)  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "POSSESSION: A REINTERPRETATION (NOISE VERSION)" 4CDR (AOW 384A)

Andrzej Zulawski's 1981 Possession is a gorgeously insane excursion into the craziest recess of psychosexual supernatural horror, an amazingly acted tour de force for Isabelle Adjani, and one of very few films that truly deserves to be called "fucked up."  The first time I saw it i was utterly blown away, simply unable to believe what i had just witnessed.  I don't want to say too much more than that for fear of ruining it for anyone who hasn't seen it (if you haven't, it's absolutely worth your time!), but i'll just say that since that initial viewing it's become a favorite of mine, a disturbing and beautifully sickening film that belongs alongside some of the other crowning achievements of body horror, like Friedkin's The Exorcist and Cronenberg's The Brood.
The film's score, by Andrzej Korzynski, is equally as stunning, a collection of anxiety-ridden queasy orchestral drones and screeches that reference both Bernard Herrmann's sense of melodrama and Ennio Morricone's drug-addled psychedelic phantasmagoria of sound.
This is the noise version of my rework of the score, and it's heavy on deep, bassy rumbles and all-out screeching earthquakes of audio filth.  I wanted to make it extreme enough to stand against the film's horrific visuals; i think at the very least i've come close.  Just under four hours of music.
Packaged in a DVD case with an awesome minimalist layout (i'm very into this one, really lovely) and released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $25 ppd. in the United States, $41 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

SMALL HOURS "TEARS IN RAIN" C56 (AOW 337)

Cassette reissue of one of Small Hours' earlier releases, the masterful Blade Runner-inspired "Tears In Rain."  Ridley Scott's film is incredibly important to a lot of people, myself included, and I think whenever we work with the film as an inspiration there's this feeling that we have to create work that really lives up to the quality of the film, something that reflects its concerns and atmospheric, chilling beauty (i've personally agonized more over my own Blade Runner-inspired pieces than anything else I've done).  With "Tears In Rain," James Killick has done exactly that, creating a crushing, shifting, intensely textured wall that is unrelenting in its monolithi-ness but also beautiful in its evocation of atmosphere.  When I first heard this work I was astonished by it, and I continue to be everytime i listen to it.  What's even more astonishing is that this was one of James' earliest works as Small Hours, and it just blows my fucking mind how good this record this.  James is an HNW artist par excellence; his work is always interesting and incredibly inspiring.  Those familiar with AOW know that I am a huge fan of James' style; I am pleased to call him a friend and am so very honored to have released multiple works from him.  "Tears In Rain" was originally released on James' own Sweet Solitude label (before Vagary!) in a small edition of 10 copies; the work is of such quality that it deserves to be heard by more people, and I am thrilled that James gave me the okay to reissue this masterful work through Altar Of Waste.
Released as a single-sided C56, gorgeous silver-tinted tapes, with updated artwork that reflects the original CD version but goes in a bit more of an impressionistic, emotional direction.  Released in a limited edition of 20 hand-numbered copies.  $10 ppd. in the United States, $26 rest of world (it's awful, and i'm sorry-i wish it were different.)

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

GESIS "UNTITLED" C46 (AOW 341)

Gesis is an HNW/ANW project from the ever-creatively restless Julien Skrobek.  I doubt he needs much an introduction, but suffice to say, Julien is one of figureheads of modern HNW, crafting severely dense and thoughtful pieces that always reflect close attention to the process and craft of making walls.  Julien's work is always interesting, and I greatly admire his willingness to push HNW every further into the outer reaches, without ever sacrificing the crushing minimalism at the genre's heart.
This tape features three pieces from 2015, all of which are some incredibly bassy, ultra-thick excursions into HNW/ANW-style ambience.  I hesitate to really place these piece squarely in either camp, as there's a lot of crossover-the record is both calming and oppressive, transcendent and destructive.  It is very much a record to get lost in, to give in to and succumb to its crushing, numbing tones.  Beautifully made works of audio intensity.
Released as a C62, grey cassettes, but containing 45 minutes of music (two 15 minute pieces on Side One, one 15 minute piece on Side Two.)  Released in a limited edition of 20 hand-numbered copies.  $10 ppd. in the United States, $26 rest of world (i know, it's awful, and i'm sorry-i wish it were different.)

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com)

DOSIS LETALIS "HUMANITY. FAILING..." C30 (AOW 361)

Angry, sorrowful, and cacophonous HNW terror from Dosis Letalis, here exploring the suffering, despair, and fallout resulting from a world obsessed with military violence, a world where bombs fall like rain and leave nothing but devastation and emptiness in their wake.  Listening to this tape brings to mind destroyed landscapes, shadows of human beings burned into the land, scattered bone and flesh and the remnants of lives that once were.
The two pieces here remind me very much of Napalm Death's "Scum" in spirit-an outburst of rage at the sickening values that have come to dominate the world, values that crush people beneath their collective heel and regard profit as the highest aspiration.  This is shredding, scathing HNW that feels like you're in the middle of a firestorm.
Released as a C30, blood/fire red tinted cassettes, with beautiful, richly coloured and detailed artwork.  Released in an edition of 20 hand-numbered copies.  $8 ppd. in the United States, $24 rest of world (i know, it's awful, i'm sorry-wish it were different.)

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "STONER WITCH: REVISITED" 3CDR SET (AOW 380)

In my ongoing quest to earn the ire of asshole Melvins fans the world over, I proudly present "Stoner Witch: Revisited."  My last exploration of the record utilized it in its entirety; this rework goes track by track and transforms the songs into large swathes of dense, brooding drone.  It's pretty ominous stuff.
I've taken more shit from outraged "fans" for these Melvins reworks than for any other recordings I've done.  This saddens me greatly, as the Melvins have made a career out of being open-minded and embracing their collective vision, wherever it may take them; it's appalling to me that a band so dedicated to exploration has such moronic, close-minded fucks for fans.  This is my "fuck you" to all of them.  FUCK YOU.
Packaged as a fold-over cover housed in a clear plastic bag, with each of the three CD's housed in black sleeves.  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $15 ppd. in the United States, $31 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "AKIRA: A REINTERPRETATION" 11CDr SET (AOW 379)

Rework of Geinoh Yamashiguro's masterful score for the legendary film Akira.  This is one of my girlfriend Gina's favorite film scores (we listen to it a lot) and the film itself is rightly regarded as a classic that transcends any sort of categorisation or genre pigeonholing.  In approaching the score I've sought to maintain the depth of Yahashiguro's compositions and make them more suffocating, more oppressive, more dense.  The first 10 discs are huge, monumental slabs of thick, despairing drone veering towards the ANW end of the spectrum, with the 11th disc featuring shorter harsh noise versions of the pieces.  All in all, nearly 12 hours of music.
Packaged in 11 separate DVD cases, each with their own artwork utilizing imagery from and ephemera associated with the film.  This is a really lovely looking set, with amazing, super-colorful and psychedelic imagery.  It's quite beautiful.
Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $125 ppd. in the United States, $141 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "THE ROAD: A REINTERPRETATION" 6CDr (AOW 378)

Rework of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis' magisterial score for John Hillcoat's beautiful and horrific McCarthy adaptation The Road.  This is one of a handful of films that make me cry everytime I watch it, an utterly draining emotional wipeout of a film, and a beautiful testament to the enduring spirit of human kindness.  My rework is done in the ambient style; some tracks are frigid and empty, others are hauntingly warm and beautiful.
Packaged in a 6-disc DVD case.  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $30 ppd. in the United States, $46 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "HAIL, CAESAR!: A REINTERPRETATION" 16 CDr SET (AOW 377)

Massive rework of Carter Burwell's backwards-looking score for the Coen brothers' latest red-scare by way of the truly absurd film, Hail, Caesar!  Burwell is one of my very favorite film composers working today; his score here is studied and assured, tapping into both the madcap nature of the 1950s Hollywood studio system and the pervasive melncholy haunting those involved.  My rework is done in the death ambient style, with 16 compositions in a variety of lengths.
Packaged in a set of 4 quadruple capacity DVD cases, each with their own artwork utilizing images from and ephemera associated with the film.  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $105 ppd. in the United States, $121 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com

CORY STRAND "MEMENTO: A REINTERPRETATION" 12CDr SET (AOW 376)

Long form rework of David Julyan's mesmerizing and eerie score for Christopher Nolan's noir-infused headtrip about forgetting, Memento.  12 discs done in severe death ambient style, a reflection of the grey and nebulous spaces the film occupies.
Packaged in twin 6-disc DVD cases, both with their own separate artwork utilizing images from and ephemera associated with the film.  Released in a limited edition of 5 hand-numbered copies.  $75 ppd. in the United States, $91 rest of world.

ORDER HERE: www.altarofwasterecords.storenvy.com