Halo

The Australian duo Halo formed in 1997 and consists of bassist/vocalist S. Klein and drummer R. Allen. They specialize in a kind of bleak, slow-motion industrial-sludge metal that has earned them comparisons to Godflesh and some of Swans' early work. Their music tends to be improvised within a loosely structured framework, and their records have a raw, uncompromising sound, which results from the so-called "demixing" process they use; in other words, mixing the instruments down in a way that gives listeners the feeling of being in the room with the band and experiencing the feedback, vibrations, humming amplifiers, etc. Halo released their self-titled debut on the Embryo label in 1998, at which time the band was actually a quartet with additional members D. Ryan and G. Hatzis. They pared down to a trio lineup (minus Hatzis) for 1999's Massive Corporate Disease before finally arriving at their duo configuration on Guattari: From the West Flows Gray Ash and Pestilence, also from 1999. This album was picked up for worldwide distribution by Relapse and re-released in 2001, marking the duo's first official U.S. album. In the meantime, Halo issued its fourth album, Degree Zero Point of Implosion, in 2000, once again on Embryo. Halo's members are also involved in a variety of other projects, either together or individually, including A Beautiful Machine, Un, Antisound, and Terminal Sound System. ~ William York