Paul Chain
PAUL CHAIN (who's actual Italian name is Paolo Catena) was a youth musical prodigy who originally formed a band called DEATH SS (there is NO Nazi connection) with vocalist Steve Sylvester in 1977. They went on to produce a handful of 7" EPs peppered with dark, Sabbath-inflected doom metal and worked up a stage show that would possibly have made luminaries like Alice Cooper take pause. Several years later, CHAIN's spiritual beliefs caused him to leave DEATH SS and with this career move, Paul set the groundwork for a career that has produced not only some of the most dark, emotional metal this scribe has heard but also explorations into genres as seemingly far afield as electronic, doomy drone, psych, etc.
PAUL CHAIN (who's actual Italian name is Paolo Catena) was a youth musical prodigy who originally formed a band called DEATH SS (there is NO Nazi connection) with vocalist Steve Sylvester in 1977. They went on to produce a handful of 7" EPs peppered with dark, Sabbath-inflected doom metal and worked up a stage show that would possibly have made luminaries like Alice Cooper take pause. Several years later, CHAIN's spiritual beliefs caused him to leave DEATH SS and with this career move, Paul set the groundwork for a career that has produced not only some of the most dark, emotional metal this scribe has heard but also explorations into genres as seemingly far afield as electronic, doomy drone, psych, etc.
Dies Irae
** Edition of 200 ** Comes in a regular plastic case with clear tray. Includes a 6-page fold-out booklet. Paul Chain’s 1994 experimental album. "There are sections of familiar guitarplay included as well as the standard hammond organ, but still all metal/rock fans should be warned that this is mostly an electronica/industrial release. The mood of the album varies between lamentation and insane anxiety. In particular, ‘Prescence Of The Soul’s Forest’ is utterly disturbed and the vocals of Sandra …
Emisphere 2CD
'Emisphere' is the last album from Paul Chain to be completely improvised. As usual, the tracks tend to be long, many being near or above the 15 minute mark, with a large use of the Hammond Organ throughout, and introduces some electronic elements as well. Released in 1996 by Paul Chain playing all instruments with the occasional help of Sandra Silver on vocals.
Ash
Originally released as a 12" in 1988 fir Minotauro, "Ash" acted as a watershed between the transitional record "Opera 4th" (Minotauro, 1987) and "Life and Death". In a few words, in this mini-Lp markedly rock stylistic elements coexist with other more experimental ones, joined together without smearing, making the record unitary and not dispersive. "Eternal Flame" and "Electroshock" are exemplary of Paul Chain's idea of speed-metal. The psychotic "Electroshock", in particular, is quite original …
Detaching From Satan Remastered
** 2021 Stock. With 2 Bonus Tracks - Pentagon Society and Vivid Eyes In The Dark ** The spirit of Paul Chain's music is definitely identifiable to anyone who is immersed in the mysticism of Pentagram, Trouble, Sleep and others of the emerging scene of the early to mid 80s, but where usually a few little nuances make these acts distinct, PC has staked out territory all his own with an extremely exaggerated variant of the sub-genre that has lost none of its mystique in the passing decades. 2017 Re…
Between Black and Violet 1980 – 1983
** Limited numbered Edition of 150 ** 18 tracks that document the evolution and extreme versatility of Paul Chain’s music between the years 1980 and 1983. These tracks are testimony to his vast musical influences and broad horizons that touched on British psych, Italian prog, classical music, hard rock, the German experimental scene, punk and new wave. Never Officially Released Digitally Remastered From The Legendary “relative Tapes”.
L’isola che non c’è
** Limited and numbered to 310 copies. 180 Gram Vinyl. 2021 Stock ** Minotaura Records presents L'Isola che non c'è , Rimini, 10 Aprile 1982 by Paul Chain Group. Recorded live at Pub "Isola Che Non C'è" (Rimini) 10 April, 1982. Concert organized by Franco Fattori (RIP), the storied DJ from Radio San Marino and Controradio Firenze, and of Aleph Club and Slego." Edit and mastered by Thomas Hand Chaste. Arranged By – Claud Galley, Paul Chain, Thomas Hand Chaste. Bass – Claud Galley. Drums – Thomas …
In the Darkness
** Edition of 500 ** Rediscovering an artist like Paul Chain is a very important moment for the musical culture of old fans and younger rockers who, for age reasons, could not live firsthand the artistic evolution of one of the most brilliant musicians of the entire Italian music scene. "In the Darkness", originally published back in 1986, is the second work of Paul Chain Violet Theatre, a band in which Catena surrounds himself with talented musicians, including some former bandmates at the time…
Soliloquies 1984-1994
** Edition of 150 ** A selection of 12 compositions that reveal the more intimate side of Paul Chain’s multifaceted artistic personality: electronic music. Closely connected with “Opera Decima”, “Dies Irae” and “Emisphere”, these tracks were performed by Paul Chain between 1984 and 1994. Never Officially Released Digitally Remastered From The Legendary “Relative Tapes”.
Is Dead - Volume One
Paul Chain was a pseudonym first used by the self-taught Italian multi-instrumentalist Paolo Catena in 1977. In 2003 he announced Paul Chain's 'artistic death' and destroyed all the tapes and photos in his possession. No explanation was given. Paul Chain has become a cult figure in the doom metal scene, but his 'purely phoentic' vocals, lo-fi recording techniques, and disregard for genre, will appeal to a far wider audience. With this officially licensed 93-minute double LP the Horn of Plenty si…
Opera Decima
Tip! 30th Anniversary Edition 2CD Digipack 4 Panels PVC Slipcase. Paul Chain's true masterpiece, the hypnotic “Opera Decima - The world of the End”, has been released on both a double CD and on a boxset of three LP's in late 1990, and it was out of print for decades. P. Chain "evil" minimalistic ambient attempts to shape sound itself using overlapping organic drones and electronic noises to create internal harmonies.
Alkahest
Alkahest is something of a minor classic in the doom metal world. One possible reason it hasn't had vast amounts of praise heaped on it or at least enjoyed a dedicated underground following in the vein of such acts as Count Raven and Iron Man, might be that so much of Italian experimentalist Mr. Paul Chain's other material is just very strange (that I'm aware of). It's a crying shame, because before he mostly fucked off into wandering improv-oddysey land, he crafted this piece of absolute gold w…
Whited Sepulchres
2013 release. Minotauro, in collaboration with Svart present Whited Sepulchres, on of the best work ever released by the Italian doom metal alchemist Paul Chain's, that went out in 1991 album is also one of his most seldom heard. Released on Minotauro Records and barely distributed outside Italy, Whited Sepulchres is a cult item that demands rediscovery. Musically it mixes influences from Paul Chain's doom metal roots and esoteric themes with the kind of heavy psychedelic experimentation he…
Detaching From Satan
CD edition, comes with obi, inner sleeve and insertThe 1984 debut solo work by Italian doom experimentalist Paul Chain, master of esoteric doom metal. Detaching From Satan supplies listeners with plenty of psych guitar playing while simultaneously building a tense foundation of doom and dark magic. Chain’s mostly unintelligible, chaotic cries sound like a pure fusion of anger and pain
Violet Art of Improvisation
** restocked ** Milestone!! Housed in a glorious mini-LP gatefold japanese style papersleeve packaging with custom OBI, double CD edition. This reissue of a largely unknown yet spellbinding touchstone in the canon of early doom music heritage is finally available again. Paul Chain has, in fact, stood as a pillar in the Italian metal scene for over three decades, launching his cult career with the infamous Death S.S. Everything the man has touched is gold. Some of the best releases ever, doom or …