Author & Punisher : Nocturnal Birding
Tristian Shone released his first record as Author & Punisher 20 years ago, and over the course of the past two decades he’s demonstrated expansive versatility as an industrial artist. What sets Shone apart from other acts are his “drone machines” and “dub machines”—musical instruments he designed and created on his own. With these machines he crafts an array of effects and atmospheres, pulling together techniques from industrial rock and doom metal into his own unique aesthetic. With 2018’s Beastland, Author & Punisher presented a harsh industrial approach, whereas 2022’s Krüller offered a tone that caters to more melancholic atmospheres.
The concept behind Nocturnal Birding is an affecting one. Shone writes in the album’s credits that Nocturnal Birding is “dedicated to those who have lost their lives traveling across the border from Mexico to the USA through a cruel policy of prevention by deterrence. This land is not ours to hold onto nor was it ours to take.” He’s spent the past couple years volunteering with a group called Border Angels; while hiking the desert near Jacumba, California, each month, Shone leaves water and supplies for migrants along the U.S./Mexico border to use during their treacherous travels. During these hikes, Shone found himself accompanied by birdsong, and it’s from this experience the central concept behind Nocturnal Birding was born. Researching various birds he encountered in the wild, he translated their melodies and rhythms into guitar performances.
Though Shone is no stranger to working with collaborators, Nocturnal Birding marks a notable occasion for Author & Punisher, as he’s now accompanied by a bandmate, guitarist Doug Sabolick (of Ecstatic Vision, A Life Once Lost). With Sabolick contributing to the songwriting and guitar performances, Author & Punisher brings the birdsong concept to life in incredible ways throughout Nocturnal Birding, making it one of Shone’s most enthralling records.
Playing into the bird theme, Shone has named each song after the bird that it represents. “Meadowlark,” which features vocal contributions from Couch Slut’s Megan Osztrosits, opens with a thick, ominous-sounding drone, the chirping of birds underneath. As the drone fades, the birds continue singing alongside the gentle plucking of a low-toned guitar. This gentle, eerie atmosphere gives way to a burst of industrial-tinged strums and distortion, a wavy synth effect coming in before the track erupts into industrial crushing.
With “Titanis,” which features Indonesian artist Kuntari, Shone tips his hat to the prehistoric “terror bird,” the guitar performance and drone effects reflecting the extinct animal’s ferocious cry. Throughout “Titanis” the melodic droning and menacing guitar tone play off each other, concocting a hypnotic and chilling air. “Black Storm Petrel” has Shone and Sabolick joined by Fange, an industrial death metal act from France. The combo of Shone, Sabolick, and Fange results in a hypnotic kind of heaviness that is as crushing as it is mesmerizing. Within each song, Shone’s efforts in interpreting these birds result in compelling mixes of abrasion, melody and ambience.
Shone’s lyrics straddle a line between poetic detail and abstraction, the imagery he provides leaving room for you to ponder deeper. Such as in “Titmice” where he says, “Believe in yourself/ Flame bound, become oppressor/ Virtue imbibed, light concealed within/ Befriend, forged, but never alive.”
Tristan Shone’s work as Author & Punisher has long demonstrated a drive toward experimentation—to push the capabilities of what he can produce. With Nocturnal Birding, Shone delivers a remarkable fusion of sound, one where industrial music captures the essence of the natural world.
Label: Relapse
Year: 2025
Similar Albums:
Author & Punisher : Nocturnal Birding
Note: When you buy something through our affiliate links, Treble receives a commission. All albums we cover are chosen by our editors and contributors.
