Logo #184: Brighter Death Now

Appropriated from an unknown designer by Roger Karmanik for his harsh noise unit Brighter Death Now in 1990. Karmanik: "I found it in an old typographic ornament while I was working at a print shop 20 or so years ago. The first time it appeared was on the "Great Death" LP - it was then only meant to be a symbol for that specific theme: a symbol of death...but of course it also became a symbol for the band itself. Many have asked where it comes from and what it symbolizes - it comes from my point of view and symbolizes me and everything I stand for - hahaha! Go figure!" Speaking of symbols: his remarks from a 1996 interview with the publication Worm Gear: "I have 3 kids as well; I am very much a life transformer, but that has really nothing to do with the things I try to develop through BDN. Death is a symbol for me - the symbol of changes - and all changes are good; even evil is good. All that comes from BDN has my deepest soul within. It is the ultimate sodomy of my soul, mind, and flesh." What he said! For more than 20 years, Karmanik has run the Cold Meat Industry label, showcasing the finest in Scandinavian unpleasantness, and shows no sign of stopping. Live, they're a singularly dynamic experience, so much so that the sound fairly eats through the foam of one's earplugs. Like eating blowfish, it's an experience one should encounter at least once in one's life.