Larissa Glasser — AKA Thuringwethil — is no doubt best known for her work as the guitarist/vocalist of “witching metal” powerhouse Hekseri and as a rising author of surreal, Clive Barker-esque dark fiction found in anthologies such as The Healing Monsters and Procyon Science Fiction.
Glasser’s eclectic, disquieting new solo album The Hill, recorded under the moniker Spoorloos, bridges those two worlds, marrying a kind of Ulver-meets-Slint-meets-Sebadoh-meets-Swans sound to a clever set of extremely idiosyncratic lyrics that create a wide enough universe to encompass everything from The Sopranos’ Adriana, scheming necromancers, twentieth century mystic/ghost story author Arthur Machen, Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion, the Heaven’s Gate suicide cult, George Sluizer’s 1988 Dutch-French horror suspense film from which the band takes its name, the Transgender Day of Remembrance and much more.
Oh, yeah, and there’s a crazy smart Shellac cover, too.
It’s a truly affecting tour de force marriage of elegance and ghastliness, which is why Decibel is pleased to present the exclusive premiere below of “Lifetime Preparation for Strangulation.”
Here’s what Glasser had to say about the track:
This song is about foniasophobia — fear of serial killers. Many people deal with this fear. I wrote it as a coping mechanism for urban isolation. In some way it was a way of reclaiming my sovereignty. Black metal concepts re-repackaged.
I hate to paraphrase the work of another lyricist, but…just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
I had this mindset for such a long time — “Everyone you meet wants to strangle you.” And just because I don’t think that as much anymore doesn’t mean I don’t make people still want to strangle me.
