A Few Selected P. Emerson Williams Writings on Goth

Veil of Thorns may cover a lot of sonic and visual ground, but there's no denying the goth roots and inspirations that have made us what we are. In between the musical and visual endeavours, I'm sometimes impelled with the need to write, and inspiration is often our beloved genre. Some times I do it on my personal blog, over at Modern Mythology, or the kkoagublogg and I am privileged to be allowed to write for Dominion magazine on occasion. Here are a few goth related highlights from 2011:

A conversation with Louis DeWray On Behalf of NOSFERATU

When one speaks of bands representing capital G goth, no better example can be found than Nosferatu. With this, that and the other hyphenated fashion take on goth coming and going in the over two decades of the band’s existence they never compromised their fundamental dark and romantic style. Their fans remain loyal and in return Nosferatu are no less loyal to their audience and to the edifice of dark art they have built. That ‘Wonderland’, their latest album shot to the top spot of the dark wave charts on Amazon UK attests to the depth of this symbiotic relationship.


A week after a triumphant performance at WGT Nosferatu front man Louis DeWray was viciously assaulted, bringing up ugly memories of the attack on Sophie Lancaster. «As you may have read, I’ve had a somewhat difficult week…» is how he put it to me. With characteristic kindness and strength of character he shared his thoughts on Nosferatu’s long awaited return, the goth scene and hipsters among other things just a few days after the attack. Louts, thugs and reactionaries notwithstanding, Louis DeWray shows that Nosferatu and goths are here to stay. We pull together in support during hard times, just as we do under happier circumstances.The attack has made every member of Nosferatu all the more determined to play a great gig at DV8 (UK) and Castle Party (Poland) in a week’s time. “Luckily my spirit is stronger than my jaw!” Louis DeWray said to me. “It was a sad irony that at least one of us was wearing a ‘Sophie’ wristband when we were attacked…”

Read the interview at Dominion Magazine.

Long Live the New Goth Flesh

The armies of the dark returned last year. Really. The goth aesthetic, dark sounds, grabs tastemakers by their smug throats as silhouettes of hipsters can be seen, dancing among the graves as the world heats up and economies wobble on their precarious perches. The Quietus, Pitchfork and Stereogum are directing a surprisingly unironic gaze at artists waving an undeniably gothic banner. Post-punk is invoked in descriptions of more ‘band to watch’ blogotronic hosannas than one could reasonably keep up with. The thing about this return is that it’s news, to those of us who have stayed with the scene, that it ever went away.

Read the rest of the article at Dominion Mag.

Dream Quest of Unknown GaGoth

My article this week for Dominion Mag pointed out a new appreciation for things goth, darkwave and generally creepy and went into some questions that arose as I looked the situation over. Some answers presented themselves as I wrote, more from reactions to the piece and this acknowlegment of dark creative endeavours contiues to spread with no signs of slowing down. Later this month, the ICA wioll gather boffins together to dissect gothic manifestations of culture in their two day meditation Template for Terror: The Revival of the Gothic.

Quoth the ICA event page:

From Dracula and Frankenstein to Twilight and Shaun of the Dead, contemporary culture continues to appropriate the stock themes of the eighteenth and nineteenth century gothic novel. This weekend of panel discussions, presentations and screenings will explore the societal impulse that draws us to the darker side of life, looking at the influence of the gothic in contemporary art, literature, film and music.

Read the rest of the post here.

Necrofuturist Salon Episode 27 – Dissociative Modifications

The symbolism surrounding Lady P. Emerson is so blatant that one might wonder if it’s all a sick joke. Necrofuturist symbolism is becoming so clear that analizes like this one becomes a simple exercise of pointing out the obvious. His whole persona (whether its an act or not) is a tribute to mind control, where being vacuous, incoherent and absent minded becomes a fashionable thing.

Lady P. Emerson Espies His Alter

You only need to look at a couple of Lady P. Emerson pictures or videos to notice that he is constantly hiding one of his thighs. Most people will simply interpret this as ”a ghoul thing to do” or a “fashion statement”. Those who have passed the 101 of Necrofuturist symbolism know that the All-Seething Thigh is probably its most recognizable symbol. The gesture of fanning one nut, usually the left one, goes way back in Necrofuturist orders. Here’s an explanation of the origin of the Thigh of P. Emerson. 

Lady P. Emerson, the son of Gamalöost and Isis was called ‘P. Emerson who drools with two thighs’. His right thigh was white and represented the sun: his left thigh was slack and represented the moon. According to the myth, cHorus lost his left thigh to his evil brother, Snæetch, with whom he fought to avenge Snæetch’s murder of Gamalöost. Snæetch tore out one of the thighs but lost the fight. The thigh was reassembled by magic, by Høötch, the god of writhing, the moon and Musick-Magick. P. Emerson presented his thigh to Gamalöost, who experienced rebirth in the underworld.

Playlist:

Bob Cobbing – Hymn to the Sacred Mushroom
The Jokerr – Welcome to the Show
Veil of Thorns – Dissociative Modifications
Controlled Bleeding – The Toiler’s Song
Lydia Lunch – Still Burning
Ritual – Brides
William Burroughs – Meeting of International Conference of Technological Psychiatry
Hecate – Houris’ Hours
Salvador Dali – Dali Speaks
Veil of Thorns – Electronic Voice Phenomena


Listen to or download podcast @alterati.com

Veil of Thorns History - Legemet og Stemmen

We figured a new remaster needed a new cover, and this captures the mood at the time of recording. Silence (A Fable), the opening track came together quickly. I had brought my new cello home and found a notice that Bright Green Records were seeking artists for the Dream Within A Dream compilation, tracks dedicated to and inspired by the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. I had to give it a go, for Poe has been a major inspiration for me since I was very young. I was also psyched to try out the cello, an instrument I had never played before. A half hour after getting through the door the track was written, and in the next hour it was recorded and mixed down, with the master packed and addressed to be sent out. It was the concluding track on a very cool, diverse and dark compilation and was the first time Veil of Thorns music was on CD.

Last on the Dream Within A Dream compilation and the opening track on Legemet og Stemmen, which was the third early cassette release. What you can hear below was digitally remastered from the original master tape. This release shows a transition period between the first and second lineups with me playing every instrument. There is more emphasis on keyboards, more sonic experimentation in the electronic percussion and my first raw cello and violin parts.

Veil of Thorns-LEGEMET og STEMMEN
Excellent gothic music. Quite ghoulish vocals, good production, weird and somewhat majestic. Just check it out to see what I mean.
666
Review - Lucifera - Endemoniada Magazine

Lineup:

P. Emerson Williams - Guitar, Vocals, bass, keyboards
Ruddy Bitch - Drums

Check it below:

P. Emerson Williams In Apocalyptic Imaginary: Early Edition

Pieces that ran on ModernMythology.net are gathered, edited and expanded in this special collection. This endeavour is one of the projects the fund raising campaign helped bring to life, and is just the beginning of what is to be brought to you in the coming year. Some of this will include the music of Veil of Thorns. Here are a couple examples from the book from me, your humble Veil of Thorns overlord:

Modernism to Postmodernism to Postmortemism

By P. Emerson Williams

We cultural types do love to declare death wherever we cast our jaded blood-shot eyes. When our imaginations are exhausted, hard-ons for the latest arising only with greater efforts require new extremes of fetishism. A point comes when completed work crowds out attention. Art, empire, economy, politics look to us to be sated with days and ready to give in to sweet oblivion.

Lady Gaga killed sex, says the once much discussed Camille Paglia, who quotes her subject who declaims “Music is a lie”, “Art is a lie”, “Gaga is a lie”. The death of the novel is an idea so oft repeated that one can envision members of the literary establishment daring each other to intone the phrase three times in front of a mirror in expectation of the candyman to appear. And closer to home for us here, the right honourable psychonaut James L. Kent writing for Acceler8or the new transhumanist vehicle established by R. U. Sirius says we've come to rest after years of the deceler8ing of music as a living mode of expression. Nice opening shot.

Read on at Modern Mythology. 




Human Demonology: Salome

By P. Emerson Williams

And when a convenient day was come, that Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee; And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.  

And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet for his oath's sake, and for their sakes which sat with him, he would not reject her. And immediately the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a charger, and gave it to the damsel: and the damsel gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.- (Mark 6:21-29, KJV)  

The story of Salome is a familiar one in Western culture, the climax of wich with her lascivious dance and the severed head of John the Baptist has fired the imagination of artists, writers and composers for hundreds of years. Then there's Dracula as an allegory describing Victorian men's fear of female sexuality, Lilith in legend and art... The mythical Salome can be seen as both a product of and a window into the minds of those who told it. Salome was a real historical person, born EV 14, the daughter of Herodias and the stepdaughter of the Emperor Herod Antipas. Though she is unnamed in the New Testament, Salome is named in the writings of the historian Josephus.

Read the rest of the article at Modern Mythology.




This book captures and expands upon the unique commentary and analysis that has helped define the Modern Mythology project in 2011. Through the voices of many contributors, we collectively take a hard look at the blurred lines between narrative and truth, philosophy and literature, personal history and cultural memory. All of this is done with an eye towards the imagined apocalypse that is always just around the corner.

This is the $.99 early edition, meaning that there will be one more editorial pass before the final version which will be released in print. This contains all the final content that the final book has, but will almost certainly have minor typos. If they light your hair on fire, feel free to report them.

Available as PDF, .epub, Kindle and more on Smashwords. (Just $.99)

First edition in print and kindle formats Jan 2012.

Click here to read a sample.

A Music Section Has Been Added

We just added a music section to the site where you can stream or buy downloads of many albums. Some of these releases have been given some loving re-mastering treatment and keep checking back for some exclusive and some free releases. This is just the start.

Eventually we'll have the full Veil of Thorns discography up there, as well as related projects, like the full discography of Choronzon and a few treats that are in the deal making stage. More on that as soon as things have been solidified. New editions of old CD's are in the works and two Veil of Thorns releases are in the works.

New Distributor: PANIC Media

More details later this week. For now, here's Salon Apocalypse: