Virgil Moorefield - The Temperature In Hell Is Over Three Thousand Degrees (1997)

The Temperature in Hell Is Over Three Thousand Degrees is the result of Virgil Moorefield's desire to explore microtonality and the creation of a more loose structure than that of his previous work, solo as well as with artists like the Swans, Bill Laswell, and Damage. The title, which was also superimposed on a 30-minute composition exploring the sensations that Beethoven experienced while going deaf, was taken from apocalyptic leaflets that Moorefield encountered in lower Manhattan. The music, especially the title composition, lives up to its name by sounding both tortuous and revelatory at the same time. These are not the same dungeon dirges that one may find on a Swans album -- besides being infinitely more complex structurally, the music manages to almost always convey beauty through the pain. Alternately flowing and tightly structured, Moorefield's compositions are expertly executed by a team of five musicians, with synth, strings, and reedwork producing an intimate, cohesive feel.