Hui, what a chunk! Young God Records, the label founded by MICHAEL GIRA, re-releases the 1995s SWANS album The Great Annihilator and his solo album Drainland as a double feature. That means two hours of music at the limit. Both records bear relation to each other, lyrically as well as musically and were already meant to accompany each other when released the first time.

Attention, nerdy knowledge: Stunning artist Jarboe, back then still a member of the SWANS and contributing to Drainland, also released a solo album in 1995 entitled Sacrificial Cake, which was meant to be an accompanying piece of music to Drainland too. Hmmm… Why the hell they did not add this one and made a triple feature?

The SWANS offer, as known, an almost indefinable mix of styles: noisy, experimental and highly atmospheric. The Great Annihilator would be the first album that summarizes all those previous styles of the band and expands to an epic degree, an epicness that got cultivated on the following records. No matter if Postpunk, Gothic, Noise or Industrial… all those styles, and more, reflect on one or the other way on The Great Annihilator and this in a much homogenous way. Though, the 70 minutes need a high level of attention and patience – the SWANS don’t offer light fare, even if Pop-like, folky, harmonious and even quiet elements sneak into noisy and cathedral-like sounds. The sonorous sermonizing of singer MICHAEL GIRA and the Siren-like Jarboe make the SWANS unmistakable.
MICHAEL GIRA’s Drainland is the reduced, almost folky counterpart. Where The Great Annihilator creates scenic soundscapes Drainland remains intimate.  Where the SWANS beat up, GIRA withdraws – a thrilling contrast one absolutely should enjoy in this combination. If this music now has to be called Gothic-Folk or Neofolk… I don’t know and I don’t care.
The 45 minutes running Drainland does not fall any short to its big accompanying album and probably was the blueprint of MICHAEL GIRA’s other solo project Angels Of Light, which came into existence during a SWANS break and soonest picks up the thread.

This double feature offers thrilling music, unrivaled in this way, and musically, absolutely unique. Those who don’t dare the whole double feature may listen to SWANS’ Celebrity Lifestyle and to GIRA’s Unreal. That should give a proper impression of the impact and intimacy of both records.