Insect Ark – Portal/Well LPSSG BANDCAMP LINK
The woman responsible for Insect Ark used to play guitar for Angels Of Light and has been doing Insect Ark for what looks like close to half a decade. With a cache of singles and EPs under her belt, Portal/Well is her first full length voyage and hits most of the right notes where somber drone oriented rock is concerned.
I’m guessing after Swans reformed (and Angels of Light ended), Dana Schechter probably had a bank of riffs and ideas waiting to be used. Insect …

Black Earth – Diagrams of a Hidden Order mCD
Malignant Records
Ambient black metal in this day and age is a far cry from the warped primitive manifestations of Abruptum‘s In Umbra… (RIP Tony), so I really appreciated that Black Earth didn’t go the purely electronic route of flitting evil touches and general “grim” vagaries that adjective oriented artists like. This mCD is a hazy and flagellating test that rewards listeners on multiple levels.
Black Earth‘s bandied color descriptor and geometry cult designs are among the things that make me grimace. …

Final Boss – Enforcer CS
Sleeping Giant Glossolalia
I recently played a show in Portland, Maine (courtesy of Last Mercy!) with a mostly non-noise oriented crowd. If you’ve ever been in this situations, you know that it can feel very isolating being the only asshole without drums or guitars. Thankfully, I was in good company with three nerds from New York City who call themselves Final Boss. As a live performance, Final Boss played 10-15 minute interludes sessions consisting of modulated tones, harsh waves, and stripped down beat structures …

Concrete Mascara – History Of Ruin CS
Trapdoor Tapes
This tape is a thick caloric slab of cranky power electronics. Very hard to consume, but worth your time.
Concrete Mascara has made the work of reviewing this tape difficult by offering a harrowing 45 minutes of nail biting power electronics. There is a certain vastness to this tape that is a little overwhelming. I haven’t heard anything else by this guy, but this release seems like a pretty good cross-section of sounds that offers nice variations in sounds but also …

Pleasure Strain – Illness Attraction C32
Starved Relations
I’ve really been digging this quick release lately and I say quick because billing this as a C32 is a little decieving. It has the same material on both sides so it’s closer to a C16. Either way I have no previous experience with the project so I’m going at this review based on this release alone. Artwork is typical photocopied high contrast black and white which fits the rough sound very well.
Pleasure Strain offers up a sick combo of power electronics and …

New Forest – Distant Realities C40
Eiderdown Records
New Forest is the project of Levi Berner who’s aliases are listed on discogs as Algiers, New Forest, Vexations, Visible/Invisible Wall although I am familiar with his work through the project Witches which was his collabration with Lavas Magmas’ Luis Gonzalez. For some reason I was under the impression that he had many releases under the New Forest moniker but it looks like Distant Realities is only one of three and a more recent one at that having been put out in 2014.
Distant Realities …

I.Corax – The Cadaver Pulse I: Sealed in a Radiant Larval Maelstrom CD
Aural Hypnox
It’s been over 10 years since I.Corax released their second official release which contained The Cadaver Pulse I & II. Now Aural Hypnox has decided it is time for a re-issue of this material to the world. Why they decided to release the two movements as two separate discs instead of a box set double CD I have no idea but it seems like as a retrospective that would have been a preferable idea. Either way this …

I.Corax – The Cadaver Pulse II: Mothelix Liquescent CD
Aural Hypnox
Here is the second I.Corax reissue from Aural Hypnox which is also the second part of The Cadaver Pulse series. For a review of the first disc go here.
If you have been exposed to any Aural Hypnox bands before you know what to expect; the highest quality ritual dark ambience out there and in this Mothelix Liquescent is no exception. Abstract yet meditative I.Corax combine both digital and acoustic sound sources into the equation to form a truly mysterious atmosphere. If …

Deterge – In Cahoots C26
Heavy Psych
This cassette was released way back in 2013, oh how time flies and how I just sit on my ass and let it pass me by. It’s no surprise that this tape is totally fucking bad ass as most material both live and recorded from Jim Haras has been nothing short of excellent.
Side A opens with a seething hot white noise assault accompanied by Whitehouse influenced vocals. Certainly not my favorite track on the release but a decent opener. However it’s not until Atomic Productivity …

Sigma Octantis – Dissipations CD
Malignant Antibody
Malignant Antibody is a sub-label of Malignant Records but I’m not really sure what style of music this sub-label is focusing on. As I look at the discography I see R/A/A/N and Skincage either of which I cannot seem to recall what they sound like – and Skincage in particular just gets mixed up with all of those other skin-themed bands like Skin Crime, Skin Area, and Skin Graft. What I can tell you is that Sigma Octantis creates music that combines several different styles …

Citizen 2-13 – A Violent Means Til The End C12
FTAM
I reached into the pile and pulled this sucker out of the deep end and what a fucken grab it is! It’s a shorty but I’m not at all surprised at the high level of quality considering this is coming from Peter J. Wood’s label FTAM.
The packaging is understated as are most of the releases from this label but that doesn’t hold back the fucking excellent barrage of dense harshness that side A employs. Mangled samples with people screaming open things …

Nyodene D/Wolves of Heaven – Split LP
Anthems of the Undesirable
Nyodene D is the project of Aaron Vilk based out of Ohio and Wolves of Heaven is Andrew Nolan and Eric King who I am previously unfamiliar with. For some reason I thought they might be a metal band. I was wrong. It turns out not only are these two projects perfectly matched for a split in terms of sound and style but they have also created one hell of a power electronics/death industrial record!
Nyodene D is up first with what …

Skin Area/Jarl – La Petite Mort LP
Malignant Records
Well this is certainly an unexpected pairing of artists but also a collaboration that makes a lot of sense on paper. Skin Area features Martin Bladh of I.R.M. and Jarl is the long running dark ambient project of yore. The LP captures the previous atmosphere of much of Skin Area’s discography but this release is less guitar driven and focuses more on textural elements to capture the intense and esoteric feel.
Side A kicks off with the sounds of bending cymbals, strings, and vocals. …

Yen Pox – Universal Emptiness 10″
Substantia Innominata
Yen Pox previous proper release before this 2011 vinyl creation was put out in 2002. Although the group is not known for their proliferation they are known for their quality dark ambient soundscapes and I was surprised to hear this arrive with little fan fair. Certainly the lack of excitement is not warranted as this slab of vinyl proves that Yen Pox continues to create some of the best atmospheric music out there.
Side A gets things off to a slow start with subtle spacious …

TeHÔM – Lacrimae Mundi CD
Cyclic Law
Before hearing this disc I was not at all familiar with the name TeHÔM. But after reading the description from the label on their latest release I feel I need to start the review with the tangled web that is the history of the project. Active in the mid 90’s, Croatia’s TeHÔM has been resurrected in the past years by original member Miljenko Rajakovic. Their first 2 albums were released on Twilight Command, side label of Douglas P’s NER label. TeHÔM’s founding member Sinisa Ocurscak …

Shredded Nerve – Retention 7″
Torn Light
Shredded Nerve is the newer project of noise artist Justin Lakes who previously performed as Pusdrainer and collaborated under a few other project names. This new project marks a turn in direction for Lakes as he has shed the pure harsh noise worship of his previous project and now embraced a more loop-based musique concrete style of experimental sound while still keeping some elements of industrial and noise.
The first track Mind Begins to Crumble as Dots are Connected (Alternate) – which takes up all of …

Father Murphy – Anyway, Your Children Will Deny It LP
Aagoo Records
Father Murphy is a duo from Italy who are influenced by such artists as Goblin and various horror film soundtracks but have a very original and experimental take on those sounds. Utilizing a mix of electronics and guitars these tracks are on the more musical side of things but also have a focus on rhythm. The atmosphere is one of dark corners and hidden secrets, it is a very intimate kind of music that they create.
Side A spans a wide …

Veiled – El temps no passa LP
White Denim
Veiled is the bicontinental duo of Robert Francisco (M Ax Noi Mach, Dexter Industries) and Arnau Sala (Exoteric Continent, Vactor). Although I don’t speak spanish I’m going to take a wild guess and assume that the title translates to “The time does not pass” (or something like it). This new record combines the different styles that Veiled has explored previously yet keeps the project at an unfaltering march forward in terms of evolving their sound.
Side A features two tracks with the first entitled …

Skin Graft – Enemy LP
Alien Passengers
Skin Graft is Wyatt Howland from Ohio. He has been a rising force in the noise scene for quite some time now but interestingly the small bit of information provided on this LP mentions that this material was recorded from 1986-2013 of which is much longer than I believed him to be operating.
Side A begins with low crunchy noise and industrial clanging. It’s apparent right from the outset that Howland means business here. The overdriven sound here is somewhat like a sonic avalanch of distortion …

Bob Bellerue – Brokelyn LP
Love Earth Music
Bob Bellerue has been a major force in the NYC noise scene for quite some time now and it’s good to finally be able to hear a full-length release from this tenured artist. The insert recommends that the listener use a high-fidelity sound system and “turn it up to FUCK YEAH” for best results. Well Bob, you are in luck because I have such a system and my roommates aren’t home.
Side A kicks off with some classic daytime ambience complete with bird calls and …

Remainderless – Remainderless EP 12″
Oxen
Remainderless is three Los Angeles rooted performers/composers converging regularly to compose, record, case and sift sounds. Equal blasting, squeak and rasp + uncommon and unsettling squelch frequencies comprise the aggregate sum of their output. Documented over three tracks on their debut EP 12″. I’m not sure what the difference is between a strait-out LP and an EP 12″ but there is a decent amount of material on this record.
Side A contains the first two tracks Devastating Inquiry and Glass Pollution both of which are good titles …

+Dog+ / Actuary – Ritual Filth 10″
Love Earth Music
So it is that these two acts meet for a split record. I’m not sure what the relation is but they have seemed to do a certain amount of work together in the past (Actuary being released on +Dog+’s label etc). The record is meant to be played at 45 RPM so it’s a touch shorter than your average 10 incher. First impressions are good: heavy black matte paper with silver silkscreened print of medieval woodcut imagery keeps things simple and safe.
Surprisingly …

Migrations In Rust – Two Shadows LP
NNA Tapes
Migrations In Rust is Jesse Allen whose musical pedigree includes being involved with the Red Light District collective in Queens, NY – which has included some of the best in modern experimental musicians such as Yellow Tears, Pharmakon, John Mannion, Diaphragm, DJ Dog Dick and a slurry of other side projects, solo projects and collaborations – former member of the Cathode Terror Secretion and current performer in Cowards, in addition to producing and performing under the guise of several other solo projects (Hollow …

Regosphere / The Vomit Arsonist – Split 7″
Phage Tapes / Dumpsterscore Home Recordings / Obfuscated Records
This split record is not just a great pairing of artists but also of labels who have teamed up to back this quality record. The art, packaging, and production all converge around 2 excellent tracks from these American death industrial artists who have a lot in common in sound but also in namesake as they are both named Andrew.
Regosphere is up first with Death, Like a Thief which immediately chimes in with a rumbling repetitive …

Street Sects – The Morning After the Night We Raped Death 7″
Self Released
Street Sects is a project of which I am completely unfamiliar with, nor do I know the artists Leo Ashline and Shaun Ringsmuth off the top of my head. Yet with The Morning After the Night We Raped Death they have created a quality work by all means starting with the excellent packaging, art, and vision.
Side A is a very quick affair featuring the title track; yet the style of music is unexpected. It’s a mix of breakcore, …

Gnaw Their Tongues – Per Flagellum Sanguemque, Tenebras Veneramus CD
Crucial Blast
The orchestra of the damned endures and it is powered by Gnaw Their Tongues the consistent Belgian project who is meshing ambient/noise and martial industrial with a black metal aesthetic. Since Per Flagellum Sanguemque, Tenebras Veneramus was released in 2009 the project has seen the release of several albums since, but it seems the original prolific progress has since slowed.
Per Flagellum Sanguemque, Tenebras Veneramus however, continues to show the solid foundation that Gnaw Their Tongues has created for themselves. …

Sektor 304 – Engage…Forward 7″
Sektor 304 bandcamp
Why the fuck is this the only release I have by Sektor 304? I’ll admit, I’ve had the above bandcamp bookmarked for a while and have enjoyed the absolute fuck out of the sprawling “Transmissions “(which was released last year) and had every intention of buying physical copies. This is in my opinion the best of what modern industrial has to offer. It tips its hat at the old school, then forges on with a unique style.
“Engage…Forward” is the A side …

Gnawed / Breaking the Will – Split C40
White Centipede Noise
This split was released last year and is quite the pairing of artists. Gnawed creates strait-forward death industrial while Breaking the Will specializes in cut-up harsh noise.
Gnawed is up first with his token deep and heavy sound. Death industrial mayhem of the highest quality and nothing less. Insanely heavy looping industrial rhythms pounding your brain out of your skull. The material is honestly perfect, falls right in line with the top-notch delivery I have come to expect from the project.
Breaking the …

Plagues / Execution Techniques – Understanding C32
Earth Noise Eternal
The circumstances of this cassette seem to be somehow centered around birth/death. A quick look at discogs reveals Understanding to be the debut release of the project Plagues, yet the last release ofExecution Techniques. So it is that this little tape – all on its lonesome – represents a microcosm of the universe.
Worth mentioning is the cool handmade packaging on the tape. Colored paper folded into a custom case, with a cloth bag around it – all silkscreened with various illustrations and …

Author & Punisher – Women & Children CD
Seventh Rule
Tristan Shone returns for the next installment of his epic industrial metal project Author & Punisher with Women & Children. I have been following his works for a few years now and fully appreciate the eclectic mix of doom, electronica, and industrial elements that Shone brings to the table. One of my favorite releases of the project has always been The Painted Army and although I certainly love his other work I always have thought that Shone had a certain propensity for …

Kine – Meditations in April Green CD
Alrealon Music
Kine is an interesting group of experimental musicians that was formed in April of 2012 during Vietnamese artist Dao Anh Khanh’s visit to New York City where they recorded the ‘Meditations in April Green’ release. Two of the members of the group are also in Pas Musique who I’ve previously reviewed.
The album kicks off with 2 long tracks the first Meditation 1 clocking in over 15 minutes. Given that every track on here is named Meditation x it makes sense that the general …

Freddy Ruppert – Hangs a Shadow C70
NNA Tapes
So it is that this is the first release from NNA Tapes to have graced my review pile! And what a pleasure it is. Freddy Rupert – an artist with whom I am unfamiliar – creates what I would consider just about the most pure version of sound collage or musique concrete I’ve heard since Pierre Schaeffer.
Throughout this tape it feels like there is very minimal processing and mostly just layering and editing of different sounds. I do hear possibly some tape manipulation …

Vehement Caress – Flaying the Pyre C45
Apicult Recordings
Vehement Caress is a dark electronics crossover act exploring the areas of dark ambient, death industrial, drone, noise, and power electronics. It is the work of Lex Russo who is native to the Boston area and seems quite content in keeping his influence local. However, his work is quite effective and although kept in very limited quantities he has toured several times up and down the east coast.
To kick things off with the release the packaging is awesome, it’s all printed on transparency …

Samarkande – Performance X CDr
Self Released
Performance X is a live recording by this odd experimental outfit Samarkande who actually sounds quite original. That does however come at a cost; the music is a strange combination of sounds and styles which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.
It’s tough to try and figure out a description of Samarkande’s style. Experimental electronic music with touches of drone. Either way the style leans to the more musical side of the genre while using experimental elements to add layers and passages to the tracks.
The atmosphere …

Gnaw Their Tongues – All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity CD
Crucial Blast
Gnaw Their Tongues is an interesting project who I don’t think I’ve completely wrapped my head around yet. First I know of their split with Corephallism which was released in 2012 and was my first exposure to the project in which they present a heaving industrial track. And then I reviewed their full length L’arrivée de la Terne Mort Triomphante which was released in 2010. Now I find All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity in my review pile which …

Gnawed – Fissure C60
Maniacal Hatred
Ok ok. I was going to start this review all gushy over how much I am in love with the work of Gnawed but I have a bone to pick with this tape. How can you call this a C60? It has the same material on both sides! Isn’t it really a C30? I mean, it’s physically a C60; yes. But it has 30 minutes of material on it! I shouldn’t complain, I didn’t pay for this.
So NOW I’ll gush about how much I love Gnawed. …

Sutcliffe Jugend – With Extreme Prejudice CD
Cold Spring
Who would think that after 32 years Sutcliffe Jugend would not only still be creating music under the moniker but would also still be at the head of the pack where noise/industrial is concerned? How did they escape the tasteless fate of churning out dancy techno anthems in exchange for a fate of complete despair in no-holds-barred abstract extreme music?!
I can’t answer these questions but I certainly can enjoy the result. In looking at where With Extreme Prejudice falls on the SJ discography …

Anemone Tube – “The Transfiguration Of The Image” – C25
Danvers State Recordings
Here we have a new tape of three long out of print compilation tracks, as well as shorter new track, by Germany’s long running Anemone Tube. Active since the mid-90’s, Stefan Hanser creates his own unique blend of heavy looping harsh electronics, power electronics structures, dark ambient textures and in more recent years, field recording manipulations. That may sound like a lot to take in, but back before people became stuck in the harshly defined genre separations seen in …

STDFN / Terrorist Financing – Split – C5
Toilet Experience Records
Here’s an extremely short split by two new bands doing there take on the classic noisecore sound that seems to almost have died out in the past decade with the fall of most of the originators. I know for a lot of us into harsh noise, bands like A.C., 7 Minutes Of Nausea, Sore Throat, Gore Beyond Necropsy, etc. are what started our love for harsh sounds. So it’s great to see some newer bands taking up the flag and doing …

Wrong Hole – “Virgins Go To Hell, Fuck Your Way To Heaven” – C15
Monorail Trespassing
Here’s a short but sweet tape by Wrong Hole from Los Angeles. This one came out a while ago, but is still available from the label and was procured from Nile when he was on tour this past Winter. The production is lo-fi but crisp enough to get the point across and the tape it’s self is dubbed loud and clear. The artwork is nice textured close up capture from some video, abstracted and nice colors …

Machinefabriek – Veldwerk CD
Cold Spring
With astute design and bold colors and text Veldwerk is presented. The artwork is curious especially coming from a label that specializes in the dark and gothic. But it appears here that Machinefabriek focuses on carefully composed musique concrete with other subtle elements added.
The compositions are quite effective using delicate sounds that ebb and flow. Peaks and valleys lead to moments of engaging sound effects, subtle haunting harmonies, and finally intense noise swells to form a well-rounded front. There are also elements of guitar which somehow …

Sunken Cheek – Prince Of Mind / Husk 7″
Torn Light
Immediately noticeable is the excellent packaging on this release. The artwork is simple yet effective using silk screened blue ink on black matte and accompanying this is a giant fold-out poster. More than one could ask for in a seven inch record already. One fair warning is that this record plays at 45rpm so it’s very quick, maybe 8 minutes tops.
Sunken Cheek represents everything that I want in noise these days; creepy atmosphere, harsh electronics, tinges of industrial scraping at the …

Encounters – Formless Migration CDr
Self Released
Ok, this was originally reviewwed as a Husere Grav release because it had no info in it and me by the artist. It’s actually Encounters which is a duo of Husere Grav and half of NRIII; the latter of which I am not familiar with. There is absolutely no information provided anywhere on the release but it is a slimline jewel case that comes in a black envelope with a photocopied image pasted on the front. Quite esoteric.
The audio here clocks in at 33 minutes …

Requiem – Provenance CD
Consouling Agency
Requiem is the artist David Graham who has been operating out of Pittsburgh for quite some time (I believe the late 90s?). Under the moniker he creates epic soundscapes of industrial tinged post-rock and Provenance is certainly a showcase of his skills and aesthetic.
My favorite thing about the release are the intense and explosive moments where a new level of heaviness is achieved. Moments like the last part of This Story Ends the Same Way it Begain where there is an explosion of pummeling industrial hits, …

Husere Grav – You Are Transparent CD
Crucial Blast
The low key ambient drone artist Husere Grav is back with this release on the surprisingly high profile label Crucial Blast. Delivered in a DVD case with fuzzed-out photography containing a sticker, a pin, and a cool insert-booklet this makes for a sick little package that truly does justice to the bleak soundscapes within.
Throbbing low frequency drones, shifting textures in the mid and high ends bring to mind the empty industrial spaces at night. When the machines are on autopilot and the electric …

Destroy Date – Inner Dialogue CD
Love Earth Music
They pulled out all the stoppers for this one. From the extremely shitty design to the re-hashed pop music within; this presents perhaps everything that I hate about experimental wankery.
I really shouldn’t even continue this review past the first track entitled Los Angeles Music Test which consists of a computer-type voice narrating the track number and then playing a 3-5 second clip of a classic rock song. This track is 13 minutes and goes up to 94 clips of classic rock songs. …

First Human Ferro – Homo Shargey CD
Old Captain/New Nihilsm/Requiem/Triangle
Homo Shargey continues the development of this long-running project which by this point has run the gamut of different styles and sounds. Over the years the project has progressed from lo-fi death industrial – my personal favorite incarnation – to haunting abstract folk and now settling into detailed synth-based ambient.
With Homo Shargey FHF deals with the concepts developed by Alexander Shargey (who I guess is also known as Yuriy Kondratyuk) that consist of using a particular method of space travel to land …

V/A – BG/BTW/HP/ORU July 2013 Tour 3xC20
Self Released
This release is a tour-de-force of harsh noise heavyweights from their tour last year. Three tapes chalk full of the filthiest cut-up noise attacks I’ve heard and it’s absolutely brilliant and devastating.
Brad Griggs is up first – a hidden gem of the midwest – who’s noise is reminiscent of early Pedestrian Deposit. It’s crunchy as fuck and rough around the edges. Mostly a constant barrage of junk attacks but there is a contact mic shuffle breakdown about 1/3 of the way through.
Side B …

Climax Denial/The Rita – Preparing for Pointe C40
Lake Shark
I have grown to appreciate The Rita’s persistent use of salient themes for his work, be it skateboarding, or in this case, ballet.  Joining the fray is creepy harsh noise stalwart Climax Denial. The result is a very densely packed blast of ebbing conversation pieces.
Climax Denial’s salacious disposition makes for a very nice background motif on side A.  I’m not a fan of explicitly referenced sick-shit noise in general, so my voyeuristic sense is prodded with Climax Denial’s oozing synths, sound samples, …

Death Jenk – s/t CD
Phage Tapes
This Phage Tapes offering consists of four tracks of swelling feedback assaults, and damaged vocals which hang somewhere in the background, surrounded by synthesizer and distorted drum machine treatments. I appreciate this type of chaotic harsh noise because it seems to lack any major over-thought and any opportunity for obvious high-falutin conceptual morass. It instead relies on a nice palette of crushing sounds.
This album goes in head first as furiously as possible, concept or no concept.
The first two tracks bleed into each other seamlessly, sometimes stuttering …

Alan Courtis & Cyrus Pireh – Uritorco C32
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
The flavor of the day is experimental noise and if you don’t like it I suggest you skip this one. Side A is lo-fi and awkward and gives us have moments of harsh noise in Yek and much guitar fuckery featured in both Do and Seh. This type of stuff is wholeheartedly not my kind of thing but I can imagine it will appeal to some.
Side B starts off on a more solid note with Chaahr a short industrial field sample. …

Weltschmerz – Dünnen Faden Des Lebens CDr
Kadaath Records
Nothing like a CDr in a DVD case limited to 20 copies. This is my kinda thing. I’m not exactly sure where this artist hails from but the tracks have alternate titles in Russian so I’m guessing that’s where. The overall mood is bleak as can be and the audio here reflects that.
In Dünnen Faden Des Lebens Weltschmerz mixes dark ambient and black noise to form a grey slated aural field of post-apocalyptic atmospheres. Angst is a slow burner of a minimalist noise …

Typical White Male/EUU – Split C60
You Don’t Like It
There’s something mysterious about this tape yet you have to have in-depth knowledge about the artist to know what it is. Of course, if you are reading this you deserve to be in-the-know so I will divulge it for you; TWM and EUU are two sides of the same coin, two minds trapped in one flesh-bound body. It is with this knowledge that you can finely begin to decipher the puzzle that this split poses.
TWM appears on the bulk of side A …

Dante Augustus Scarlatti – Worship at the Throne of the Oscillator C40
Auris Apothecary
Yet another phenomenally packaged release from the Auris Apothecary camp. They never fail to amaze me with their carefully crafted artifacts. I’m not familiar with the artist here but with such a great presentation expectations are set quite high.
I really like how the track lengths are listed on the back cover of the booklet here. It’s very helpful in deciphering the larger structure of the album. Breaching the Circuitry of Reason opens the tape; a noisy opener lasting …

Aeoga – Temple Treye CD
Aural Hypnox
The Finnish masters of dark ritualistic music are back once again with Temple Treye which truly must be a dark place somewhere in the outer reaches of the northern wastes, or perhaps it is a place that only exists within their minds. Either way some sort of it is manifested in this 45 minute outing of intense ritual musick.
Opening with Feast of the Stance it’s clear Aeoga are experimenting with different sounds and styles because the use of theremin like synth lines pitch bending into …

Navicon Torture Technologies – Your Suffering Will Be Legendary 2xCD
Malignant Records
Your Suffering Will Be Legendary is a mammoth two disc set in a gorgeous digipak and stocked full of excellent ambient, death industrial, and drone featuring collaborations with artists like Aun, Cenotype, Herbst 9, Troum, Jarboe and more. It’s a lot to take in and took me quite a few intense listening sessions to fully absorb the depth and breadth of the release. The funny thing about the release is that almost all of the power electronic influences of earlier …

Aural Hypnox – Underworld Editions I C20
Aural Hypnox
Underworld Editions is a series started by the label Aural Hypnox and is a document of their invitational private seances which consistent of the various members of the associated artists known as the “Helixes Collective”. The material is said to have been recorded in a subterranean lodge located in Oulu, Northern Ostrobothnia which I can only assume is in the far reaches of northern Finland – feel free to fact check that one.
What is presented on this tape meets all expectations and then …

Bruital Orgasme Untitled – C30
Sincope
Here we have a new tape by the married Belgian couple Bruital Orgasme, who seem to specialize in creating a mix of old school harsh noise combined with field recording cut-ups, glitch textures, and thick harsh drones. I have a few of their past releases, and while I’ve enjoyed them, there’s been nothing that’s really blown me away. There was enough to keep me interested though which led to this C30 landing in my hands. I think with this tape they have taken a huge step …

Iron Forest – Body Horror CD
Crucial Blast
Iron Forest returns for the project’s last full length with Body Horror. Once again presenting his brand of doomstep to the masses. Immediately eye catching is the artwork which is a collage of various pornographic source material but abstracted so as to portray a mass of horrific creature-like images.
Kicking off the album is Pathogenesis which is probably the track on Body Horror that stands apart from the others the most. It’s a slower affair and features a picked guitar as the base for the …

Hheva – Drenched in the Mist of Sleep C30
Diazepam
Hheva appears to be a relatively new project but that doesn’t mean that Drenched in the Mist of Sleep isn’t some quality material. First off, the release is beautifully packaged in leather casing tied shut with thick twine. The j-card reveals textured paper with smartly black and white images and text, a very nice DIY presentation.
Side A contains The Forest Bathes in Crimson Lead which is a beautiful floating ritual drone piece. Harmonic and peaceful yet focusing on an air of mystery …

Urna – Larvae C60
Brave Mysteries
Urna is a project from Italy that has been around for many years now, but has remained largely unheard outside of his own country except for maybe the early releases that came out on the infamous Slaughter Productions. I first heard his CD-R “Lares” back then when it came out and was very impressed by it. I tried tracking down his other work with little luck, besides the occasional disc here or there. So it was great news when Brave Mysteries announced they were releasing this …

V/A – The Moon is Hungry 2xC20
Intangible Cat
Four killer artists come together to create this great double tape set. Immediately noticeable is the great artwork job tying everything together here. The artists tend to do a great job as well creating like-minded sounds to fit into their side. I listened to this puppy a few times before even opening up the booklet and realizing that it was more than one artist, which is one point that demonstrates how succinctly this material works together.
Up first is Homogenized who presents possibly my …

Crown of Cerberus – With Arms Extended to The Heavens C30
Depravity Label
Crown of Cerberus is a project that creates ritual music through electronic means. Tending to rely on loops to create a repetitive, psychedelic, and oftentimes beautiful tapestry of sound the project is quite adept at achieving an otherworldly experience. Gracefully accompanied by an exquisite display of DIY art on this tacfully silkscreened packaging; this release is truly something special to behold.
Side A contains the track Exalting Her Majesty’s Beauty from the Depths of Every Ocean, and from the …

Fecalove – Void, Chaos and Cum CD
Crucial Blast Records
Fecalove is an incredibly prolific project that has been releasing music since 2004. Despite that fact Void, Chaos and Cum is actually my first exposure to a full album by the project. Obviously as can be deduced from the project’s name the subject matter here is concerned with a variety of sexual depravity so if you’re not into that kind of thing you may want to tread lightly here.
The albums opens with a fucked up sample most likely from some kind of …

No Dreams – Pessimistic Substance C30
Depravity Label
Depravity label and No Dreams are the vessels of Omar Gonzalez a noise devotee based out of Chicago who also helps run the now infamous DIY show space The Rectum. He is an artist who is prolific and apparently unstoppable given that he is also a member of power electronics unit Machismo and filthy noise rock mongrels Rectal Hygenics. Is there an ass this man doesn’t have his fingers four knuckles deep in?
No Dreams’ sound seems to be one of much more subtle dynamics …

Phoned Nil Trio – Ar B Ok Alou 7"+C26+CD
Rainbow Bridge Recordings/FTAM/Ursa Major/Colbeck Labs/Maxcorp Industries/Blackhouse
This is a weird one and not just for the fact that this one release spans 3 different formats. Phoned Nil Trio is a group consisting of Neil Gravander (who also performs as Nummy) and Peter J Woods (who also performs under his own name as well of a slew of other projects) and Dan Shierl (who I am not familiar with). They are based out of the Milwaukee noise scene; infamous for it’s growth and activity.
The …

Pas Musique/Ben Link Collins/Shaun Sandor – Of Silence CD
Silent Media/Alrealon Musique/Blondena
Of Silence is an interesting release on multiple fronts. It’s a collaboration between artists and labels but the 9 tracks are grouped into threes with each group featuring a different combination of the 3 artists that have worked on the material. It’s hard to explain but once you see it laid out in the credits it’s easier to understand.
The compositions featured here are unsurprisingly of the quieter and avant garde variety. But I have to admit I really enjoy how …

Hexen – Hexen C30
Diazepam
I immediately received a ritualistic tone from the second I set eyes on this release. Housed in a small velvet red bag and accompanied by a chunk of bark this release has esotericism written all over it.
Luckily the sounds live up to the carefully planned packaging. Side A features a beautiful mix of experimental atmospheres and sounds. Echoing glassy textures are laid as a bed of sound and added to that are ethereal whispers. All this which is then interrupted by heavy washes of noise blasts. …

Gorduw – XIX CIF. 30/15 CDr
Kadaath Records
Russia: the wild west of the 21st century. With it’s dashboard cams, street fight videos and military aggression it’s no surprise that it is also a hotbed for industrial music. Gorduw is currently on the front lines right now and the project’s style is as multifaceted as their homeland’s antics. Having listened to several albums I’ve come to know that the project spans the genres of experimental noise, electro-industrial, and power noise.
XIX CIF 30/15 tends to the former of the styles with 5 …

Joey Molinaro – The Mephist C12
Auris Apothecary
I had the pleasure of playing with Joey Molinaro in a basement a few years ago. He is a true freak and I mean that in the most adoring way possible. A violin player who delves into avant garde and weird music. Not to mention this is a release from the esoteric Auris Apothecary label; an organization that features some of the most strange and wonderful pieces of art that has graced my sense of sight, sound, and touch.
The style of The Mephist …

Iron Forest – Pantechnicon CDr
Paradigms Recordings
Iron Forest is a project form the man behind A Crown of Amaranth and I believe is now a defunct project but he is still operating under the project name Auditor. Pantechnicon is the first effort for this new project and is coined by the label as “doom-step”.
That description may not be far off as this is somewhat based around odd angular beats with a good dosage of noise and distortion. Lots of experimentation and tangents here. Once you think you have a track nailed …

Cursory – La Sorcière 7"
Blossoming Noise
La Sorcière is my first exposure to Cursory a project which I know nothing about. Starting with the presentation of this release I can say it’s quite an effort where it has been beautifully yet subtly packaged by Blossoming Noise who always manages to put out quality material. Ultra heavy stock with silver silk screen art is very effective but leaves almost no information about the release to be shared.
Side A contains the track Some Men Look into their Minds and Find Naught but Pain …

Aphid Palisades – II C45
Fade Away Tapes
Aphid Palisades is the nom de plume of the collaboration between Lee Tindall (also of Belarisk, and Zerfallt) and Ryan Connolly (also of Sundrips). With II they create a beautiful sound of psychedelic experimental dronescapes.
Guitar is used in a very subtle and thoughtful way and combined with excellent synth work. Nothing feels canned or generic and there is a great sense of movement throughout the tape. The material shows an excellent combination of glassy and bright textures with warm analog goodness.
My only critique …

Tasuketekun – Electrical Lessons CDr
Obfuscated Records
Tasuketekun is a harsh noise artist hailing from Japan and creating noise in a the style of the Japanese greats like Merzbow and Astro. This disc holds roughly 42 minutes of white hot synth-based noise with tons of variation yet using droning synth pads as a base for each track.
Two longer tracks kick things off with Electrical Lessons featuring a low bass tone and cut-up distorted elements above the drone. It is quite consistent for the entirety of the track. Human Weapon is of …

Regosphere/Shiver – There’s Daggers in Men’s Smiles C20
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
This cassette is an already sold-out split tape from two burgeoning noise artists both tending to lean towards the ambient/industrial realms.
Regosphere tackles side A with Wolf’s Head (Bleeding) which has a much more power electronics vibe than most of his material and I’m really digging it. Beneath the Sheath follows with more of Regosphere’s token sound but as always these tracks are very thick with excellent synth pads and layers of fuzz.
Shiver’s work here isn’t bad but I have to say …

Arabian Blade – Perpetuate Myself C30
Elm Recordings
It’s no secret that Christopher Donofirio’s Reviver is one of my favorite projects currently in operation in New England but here we have him teamed up with Donovan Fazzino, a man who I am less familiar with. Luckily it seems the pairing works quite well together because this tape is an excellent offering of droning ambience and industrial.
Side A consists of a few tracks with the first 2 building up to the third. Beginning with more subtle drones it’s solid work until it gets …

Opponents – Psychosexual Spiritual C38
Out-of-Body Records
Opponents were founded in late 2006 in New York City by the duo of Joshua Slusher and Aaron Feinstein. In Late 2009 they were joined by Joshua Greco to form the current lineup as a trio. I’m surprised they haven’t crossed my path before as they are quite prolific and if Psychosexual Spiritual is any indication they’re sound and style is evolved and explorative.
Opponents embrace the blurred line between industrial, electronica, abstract, and psychedelic music while using all analog gear. The production quality reflects that …

156 – A Life Lived As If In Hell C30
Out-of-Body Records
156 is back with their unique brand of musique concrete industrial music. This time bringing their awkward style to the next level and truly creating an audio soundscape of the most hellish levels.
Side A combines field recordings of people screaming, yelling, coughing, maybe fucking? Who knows? With reverberating industrial junk noise sometimes forming rough looping patterns at other times just cutting in and out incessantly. There seems to be little rhyme or reason to these sounds, their main goal to …

Oneirogen – Kiasma CD
Denovali Records
Oneirogen is the project of Mario Diaz de Leon who is a classically trained guitarist based out of New York city and also composes music under his own name. Oneirogen generally features guitar-based epic drone tracks that are paired with heavy synthesizer dirges ranging from huge exploding harmonies to emotional arpeggios. Kiasma is the third effort from the project following an initial full-length and one ep.
Kiasma is an expansion on the ideas and aesthetics that de Leon had set in his previous full-length Hypnos and I …

Funerary Call – Fragments from the Aethyr CD
Crucial Blast
Fragments from the Aethyr was released in 2012 on Crucial Blast records and was the second release of the year for Funerary Call making it the project’s most prolific year since 2004. If you’re unfamiliar Funerary Call it is the project of Harlow MacFarlane who also heads the Canadian death industrial project Sistrenatus. Fragments of the Aethyr continues to the exploration of FC’s ritualistic ambience.
The sound on Fragments though is much more string-centric. With the interplays on the opening track Libation being …

LSFB – Loathsome Sounds From Beyond C20
Cathartic Process
LSFB features members of Nyarlathotep and hails from Pheonix, AR. Loathsome Sounds From Beyond contains 4 tracks. In the opener Eye of Retaliation the sounds are immediately filthy and tortured lo-fi style. Burnt-out transistors, throbbing pain waves, and frantic screaming buried in the mix all amounts to a wild array of insane noise.
The following track Honeymoon in Haiti takes things down a notch and churns out some well played death industrial elements. This time much more brooding and and atmospheric than the …

Wastelanders – I: Total Desolation C90
Calls and Correspondence
Wastelanders is a solo side project by Dean Costello, who is also active in Harpoon, Diatribes, and Winters in Osaka. This is the project’s first release which was put out in 2010.
Side A kicks off with a post-rock styled solo guitar piece with slowly rotating strummed cords spiraling into oblivion. A quick cut to some randomized and/or granulated electronic fluttery tones is a touch awkward but adds some crucial variance. My only issue with this is that the music usually only consists …

Peter J. Woods – Failure from Both Ends 7″
Curious Lacunae
Peter J. Woods the insane professor from Milwaukee, is back. In this quick album he explores different sounds and compositions but nothing that is too unfamiliar to his previous work. However the material sees him furthering his technique and vision.
Side A contains East a track that begins in a very unobtrusive way. I can’t tell if these are broken oscillators or heavily manipulated vocals but the track builds quite effectively until it has overtaken the listening space. The production is very …

Iron Fist of the Sun – Tears Royal LP
Unrest Productions
There’s something about power electronics projects that explore their own cultural attitudes, shortcomings, and gripes that just works so well. Iron Fist of the Sun is possibly the best example of this going right now. The project is quite prolific while keeping an esoteric air about itself and staying clear from the limelight. Tears Royal was actually released in 2012 – which now seems so long ago – yet this material is probably some of the best that the project has …

Human Larvae – Womb Worship CD
L.White Records
Human Larvae is an act that is anything but prolific. Since The Odour of Love – his debut release in 2008 – the Germany-based artist Daniel Burfoot has released only a handfull of material. I was very proud to help him on his first full-length endeavor Home is Where the Hurt Is which was released to critical acclaim and saw the burgeoning potential of a new artist who not only focused on song structure and evolution within the tracks, but an overarching conceptual element …

+Dog+ – Fuck Faced Failures CD
Love Earth Music
Yet another release from this prolific artist. I feel like +Dog+ is unironically trying to carve out his own nitch for terrible release artwork because the design on this disc is quite painful to the eyes. Yet the sound is more cohesive here and more effective than the last material I heard from the project.
FFF is 11 tracks in roughly 1 hour with styles falling into droning noise, or ambient noise however you’d like to phrase it. Slowly evolving tracks that are …

Murderous Vision – Ghosts of the Soul Long Lost Vol. 2 2xCD
Live Bait Recording Foundation
Ghosts of the Soul Long Lost Vol. 2 is another mammoth addition to the Murderous Vision catalog with a wealth of material sprawled across 2 full discs. For anyone that is not familiar with this long standing industrial act this album is a great starting point, or even to once again re-familiarize yourself with the artist.
The set starts off with a mix of martial industrial tracks that feature some creative sound design and competent compositional …

Servile Sect – Glowing 10″EP
King of the Monsters
Servile Sect is a project who I am completely unfamiliar with as is the label. Though immediately I am met with an impressive presentation of abstract artwork and absolutely mind blowing smoky vinyl that is really impressive. The packaging here gives the impression of a space-age techno project, or maybe something quite droney and glassy.
Yet what Servile Sect presents here is the polar opposite! With side A’s A Frenzy of Cubensis we are greeted with a blast of pulsing lo-fi industrial with a …

Veiled – Veiled LP
Blind Prophet Records
If you are not yet familiar with Veiled you should be. Veiled is the duo of Robert Francisco (M Ax Noi Mach, Francisco Franco, Angeldust) and Arnau Sala (Ex-Con, ASDC) and together they create new school synth pop no-wave with a straight forward feel on their first LP. Not to say that Veiled hasn’t explored broader territory with their previous two releases – they have – where they delved into more abstract yet still rhythmic synthesizer based compositions that lurked on the outskirts of drone …

E.E. – Volcanist LP
Curious Lacunae
E.E. is a musical group that hails from northern Ohio and features members Patrick Newman, Nate Meadows, and Wyatt Howland. The latter of the names is the only one I recognize because Howland is the man behind the mighty Skingraft. Beyond that I am not at all familiar with any of it but I can say this is a pretty neat looking LP. Each side is titled here with side A being Island Arc and side b being Popocatepeil and both consist of two tracks each.
Side …

Shift – Hatet/Misären 7″
Filth and Violence/Untergeschoss
Return of the mighty Shift. And it is a welcome one. If you are not familiar with the works of this artist this is a fantastic starting point. Since this is a short record I’m going to try to keep this review snappy.
Side A contains Hatet-Misaren(kackerlackorna) which brings some dense death industrial to the stage. Unrelenting low-end kick drum pounding away while Shift’s token noise attacks and newfound vocal rasping appears layered on top. An absolutely heavy affair and one that I wouldn’t change for …

Kevin Greenspon – Waypoint C10
Bridgetown Records
Waypoint is a quick little affair which is kind of a strange thing for drone music. If you are not familiar with the works of Kevin Greenspon he combines guitar drone, noise, and audio collage to form glassy floating compositions of ambient harmonies with variations wandering into experimental territory.
Both Waypoint and Renewal – which are placed on side a and b respectively- have a very similar vibe using bell-like fx on floating plucked guitar lines to create a beautiful and emotional atmosphere. The work …

Concern – Living Wage C20
Digitalis LTD
This is a great tape featuring the understated sounds of Gordon Ashworth’s ambient project. If you are unfamiliar with the artist he is also the man behind the harsh noise collage project Oscillating Innards.
Side A features two tracks of blurry melodic frameworks packed into a box, shoved into a corner in the attic and eventually buried under layers of dust. That’s not to say this material isn’t relevant – it is – but it’s oh so delicate and esoteric that it conjures up these …

Panther Modern – White Light Power Electronics CDr
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
White Light Power electronics features an odd mix of styles and sounds which may somewhat be attributed to its wide cast of contributors that include D of Black Bloc, T.O.M.B., Colin Orr of Suicide, and even an organist from a church. What this amounts to is an album that features some off kilter experimental tracks and combines them with seething feats of industrial and power electronics.
Sometimes I feel the more experimental tracks are a bit jarring and don’t mesh too well …

Regosphere/Harold Shipman – Split CDr
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
Combining the sound of layered synth centric industrial and barebones experimental harsh noise is not something you see too often, but the 43 minutes of this disc offer just that. The first track is the only Regosphere track clocking in at 18 minutes it’s a tour-de-force of what Andrew Quitter does best. Carefully composed drones and noise merging and morphing over the course of it’s running time. This is the kind of material I’ve come to expect from the project and it’s just as …

156 – Frontyard/Backyard C30
Acid Casualty Productions
This tape presents a very strange sound indeed. I am not familiar with the works of this NYC-based artist but Frontyard/Backyard is quite clearly based off of many field recordings from various areas. I might assume they are from around the artist’s living space. That said, editing is very seamless yet also quite jarring in the recording’s contrasting atmospheres.
The tape alternates between more raw/unedited excerpts of field recordings and other recordings of sound effects type material like junk sounds, scrap metal, and even sounds that …

Biava/The Smartlemon – Split C55
Heretic Recordings
This is the first tape release for the Italian label which also offers material from these two Italian artists. The split tape contains a wealth of material from both artists with Biava being featured on side a and The Smartlemon on b.
Biava’s material is much more to my liking here. Although it sounds quite digital in many places the artist manages to create a cohesive and engaging showing of morphed sounds using various effects. The sounds are quite unique yet perhaps remind me of the …

Nyodene D – Edenfall CD + Bonus CD (feat. Sektor 304)
Malignant Records
This is the second full-length CD release from this Ohio based death industrial act. If you are not quite familiar with the project yet Nyodene D focuses on repetitive crusty noise reminding me of a combination between Brighter Death Now and old school Grunt.
On Edenfall the influence of Europe After Storm-era Grunt is quite palpable. The most obvious element here is the repeating loops that act as a backbone to each track and then added noise and distorted vocals. …

FRKSE – Scholar Drugs C40
I Had an Accident Records
FRKSE is back with this conceptual cassette representing something quite different from the project. If you’ve read previous reviews you know that FRKSE normally merges industrial, middle eastern music, noise, and even hip-hop into a strange 70s psychedelic trip. Live, they come off more as an old school death industrial unit presenting pummeling dirges – but playing AKAI samplers with drumming fingers – it’s a strange and wonderful site and sound to behold.
But with this tape they offer droning dark ambience combined …

Sigulda – Sickness and Health C20
Side of the Sun Recordings
Here is both a label and an artist of which I have no previous exposure. Both seem to have been mostly only active in 2010 so who knows if they are still functioning. Either way, the release must be documented.
The tape is split into two tracks with one on each side. Side A features Sickness which uses electric oscillator drones to kick things off with delay and modulation and quickly build to swashes of noise. The noise gets aggressive yet continues …

Katze – Berg CD
Individual Lines
Katze is a project of which I have some familiarity, I’ve performed on the same bill with the project and witnessed their live set which is quite fantastic. This is my first exposure to their recorded material and it bears a different sound.
More cerebral and minimalist than their live performance is, the style falls more on the electroacoustic side of things rather than noise/drone. The first two tracks A Man A Plan A Canal Panama and Meeps are digitally source driven tracks. Delicate buzzing drones collide …

The Dadacomputer – The Birth of 5XOD CDr
Iceage Productions
The Dadacomputer was created in 1981 as an experiment in long-distance collaboration from Cardiff to Bristol which were separated by the Bristol Channel and are about 40 miles apart. The collaborators are Mark Phillips and Robert Lawrence who had met about 6 months earlier in Bristol due to Lawrence putting an ad in a record shop looking to work with similar musicians quoting Throbbing Gristle, Kraftwerk, Chrome etc as influences.
It took several years for the collaboration to finally be complete but on …

Brume – Quicksand C70
Cipher Productions
First of all, the packaging on this one. Hoooollllyyyyy sshhhhiiittttt!!! A sealed clear plastic baggy silkscreened and filled with sand! Inside the baggy is yet another sealed plastic baggy holding the tape so as to not get sand in it. Very well done. My only complaint is that it’s difficult to preserve if you want to open it. I guess that means I suggest you buy 2 copies each, one to open and listen to and another for your collection.
This work is a bit different for …

Scald Hymn – Primary Wilts
Holy Page Records
Scald Hymn is a solo noise project by Erik Brown, hailing from Massachusetts. Scald Hymn seems to be a newer project, with little info on his bandcamp, and no discogs page.
Something must be said about Holy Page’s diversity in sound. One moment they can be releasing casio midi jams, and the next moment be releasing lo-fi noise bangers. This tape kind of hits you over the head with trudging feedback loop generated rhythms in its opener. It flips around rumbly bass and then back to weirdly organic …

Morgan Evans-Weiler – Strata C32
Individual Lines
Morgan Evans-Weiler is a violinist/improvisor/electronic musician based in the Boston area. He programs electronic music using PureData, and improvises on violin and prepared violin. He keeps an active performance schedule in the New England area. Current projects include; Katze (duo w/ Noell Dorsey), HMQ (Michael Rosenstein, James Coleman, Howard Martin).
Strata is a succinct manifestation of Morgan’s composition techniques as side A features a heavy electronic drone coupled with fast stroking violins that although quite frantic seem to stay within a certain pitch as to …

Filivs Macrocosmi & Charadriiform – Ex Vivo CD
A5 Productions/OMS Records
I’m not sure how I feel about the packaging on this one. The CD looks nice, but it’s only delivered in a clam shell case which I find kind of disappointing. No art, but I guess it follows along with the concept. Filivs Macrocosmi is Sergey Svistelnik who holds it down in Lithuania as one of the staples in the ambient/noise scene. Past projects include Old Monk’s Saga, Fragments, and In Meditarium, yet it appears the only currently active project of …

Goat Thron – Skrajne Uplodlenie! CD
A5 Productions
Goat Thron is a project that has quite the sordid past and present. The project was started as a raw black metal entity in 1999 by creator Dagon. However, in June of 2000 Dagon decided it was time to go so he hung himself and the project came to a screeching halt. However, in 2004 one of the other members Funeral, decided that he would resurrect the project but only with a noise and industrial sound refusing to play black metal ever again under …

New Forest – +material/medium+ C40
Horse Worship
New Forest is a project I am unfamiliar with and the packaging of this album is quite minimalist using only high contrast black/white imagery. Although the art is slightly psychedelic I didn’t really realize this detail until I started listening to the tape.
Kicking off side A is Dreamless which is a track that is rather ruined by a persistent drum machine beat. The problem with drum machine beats in noise/experimental music always seems to be that the beats are not very interesting and lack the …

Veiled – Tabula Rasa C15
Self Released
Veiled is a duo featuring Robert Francisco who hails from Philadelphia and Arnau Sala who resides in Spain. Together they create dark electro of the old school no-wave industrial style which lately has seemed to blow up in certain circles. Veiled has always had an lo-fi S&M aesthetic and makes use of modular synthesizers and hardware fx during their live performances.
The title track is featured on side A and is a slow pulsing reminding me of the darker side of Goblin with it’s whispered vocals …

Woven Qualm – From The Grey Havens
Green Records and Tapes
Woven Qualm is a new one of Knox Mitchell’s (Lidless Eye, The Bloodletters, Night Court) forays into sound creation, and it seems to be a project that focuses on more calm and slow moving ideas.
The first thing that strikes me about this tape is the overarching sense of loneliness. This bubbling sound – of what I can only imagine is burned and sped up tape – makes the tape sound so dirty and aged, like something that you would find at …

To The Lovers, Farewell – Banister to the Throne Room CD
Obfuscated Records
The name of this project seems familiar to me but it appears they only started around 2012. The disc is packaged in a standard jewel case with some colorful artwork.
The sound within consists mostly of experimental harsh noise, I’m guessing a decent amount of this is digital because of it’s cold sounding production. A lot of distorted synths and squiggly overdriven ramblings. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t but more often than not it tends to …

Greg Kelley – Self-Hate Index CD
Semata Productions
Greg Kelley is a musician who specializes in experimental styles and creates noise by using a trumpet and running his sounds through fx. This release is a few years old now but it is actually his latest full-length album under his own name.
Much of what you will find here is breathing type sounds, quiet, meditative and unpredictable. There are noisier moments like Shearing Husks where the dynamics really start to open up. Some tracks tend to get a little dry with the focus on …

Shift & Hal Hutchinson – Full Weight of the Opposition 10″EP
Unsound Recordings
I believe Unsound Recordings is a sublabel of Unrest Productions the label run by Martin of Shift. Shift, having been reviewed here before releases sounds ranging from raging power electronics to minimal harsh noise. Hal Hutchinson however, I am unfamiliar with so this is my first exposure. The packaging here is simple stock with black & white print. Nothing to write home about but a decent presentation.
Pigshit is the first track which takes up all of side A and …

Filth – The Witches Pharmacopoeia C40
Maniacal Hatred
Filth is a project that is only a few years old now but has been churning out some great industrial noise since its inception. The Witches Pharmacopoeia is no exception and it appears that the artist uses his proven techniques to create yet another foray into deep industrial noise.
Percussion is used in each track here although on side A’s Mandragora it’s much more sparse and mainly treated as gestures rather than anything overtly rhythmic. The same excellent production techniques as Filth always displays are …

Dajjal – De-Evolution In Simulation Generators C90
Cathartic Process
Embracing a full and intense sound Dajjal presents an intense attack of heavy harsh noise that utilizes what may be modular synthesizers and fx to create textured beds of sound.
Side A begins with a booming bass surge and eventually evolves into a full-on attack of noise and texture that is harsh but also reverberating. The production is very dense but somehow there is also plenty of space as well. As the track continues oscillators attack but they sound more like broken glass …

Crown of Bone/Tenebrious – Epitaph Crusted Black CD
Obfuscated Records
Who would have thought that Indiana would become a hotbed for black noise? Just when you thought all was lost with the world something as surprising as a split between two black noise projects from Indiana shows up at your door. Released by the ever growing force Obfuscated Records this CD is sure to impress any fan of the genre.
Tenebrious is up first with what I would consider a more traditional showing of black noise as coined by the late great Aural …

En Nihil/Striations – Split C20
Danvers State Recordings
First off, I freakin love the packaging of this bad boy. A big, soft, white poofy case with darkened artwork and a slot for the tape. It’s simple yet effective much like the music here.
En Nihil kicks things off on side A with his usual devastatingly heavy production style. Absolutely pummeling repetitive industrial loops sprinkled with various drowned elements of scrap abuse. Each track has it’s own plodding rhythm and will destroy your mind. Like a meeting between Brighter Death Now and Wolf Eyes.
Striations …

Boar – Dead Existence CD
Breaching Static
Boar is a project I have no prior experience with, so I had no idea what to expect from this disc. The design was good enough and on giving it a spin I found it offered up some crusty noise destruction.
The first few tracks are filled to the brim with heavily overdriven textures. Somewhere between wall noise and cut-up attacks. The overall style reminds me of bands that create “black noise” like Demonologists and T.O.M.B. but perhaps with less black metal influence.
On track 5 Boar …

Grunt – Europe After Storm CD
Industrial Recollections/Force Majeure
This album represents the second re-issue of Europe After Storm. Tracks 01-04 re-mastered from the original Europe After Storm tape released by Spite Recordings USA in 1998 limited to 50 copies. Tracks 05-07 unreleased studio material, tracks 08-11 live at S-Osis/Turku/Finland, 1999. The first re-issue was of the same titled CD released in a limited edition of 489 copies in 2001. This edition features the same artwork as the 2001 re-issue but is instead packaged in a jewel-case and limited to 500 copies.
I …

Herpes Ö Deluxe – Tollerort Organisation Verfügt 7″
Divergent Series
Divergent Series is a Boston based label (soon to be relocating to San Francisco) from the man behind FRKSE who has been reviewed here before. I’m not familar with Herpes Ö Deluxe but they are said to be “Swiss Legends” from the label. Skepticism set on high as I delve into the tracks.
Well the words of the label could ring no truer because immediately the record impresses with Friester Auf Der Lauer an incredibly weird yet creepy layering of strange sounds culminating …

V/A – X Means Not Welcome 2xC20
FTAM
Straight edge harsh noise & power electronics? Can this be true? Have these scenes finally collided and if so, how will they possibly reconcile themselves? Well, X Means Not Welcome is the first step on a very slippery slope that will probably never lead to these scenes ever being able to successfully collide but what it certainly does offer is 40 minutes of militant heavy electronics that will appeal to any fan of the genre, but probably not just any straight edge kid.
Baculum is …

En Nihil – Crimes C60
Phage Tapes
Remember the scene in Terminator 2 when Sarah Conner has a flash forward into the future and everyone’s skin is blown off their skeleton? Well hitting play on En Nihil’s Crimes is very similar to experiencing that moment, but luckily my skin bounced back after being almost blown off by the intense barrage of distorted walls that assaulted me. The production of this tape is absolutely massive and it’s noticeable immediately.
Worth mentioning is the beautiful artwork and manufacturing offered by Phage Tapes with a …

Compactor – Desensitization Reprocessing C32
Out-Of-Body Records
Compactor is the project of Derek Rush the man behind many impressive music/noise projects including A Murder of Angels, and Dream Into Dust. Although A Murder of Angels is pure dark ambient you will find much more traditionally music leanings with Dream Into Dust, split the difference and that is where Compactor fits in.
The project combines more industrial underpinnings with new school electronica and power noise to create a varied mix of styles. But Desensitization Reprocessing is anything but a rehash of 4-to-the-floor beats …

Joe Marshall – The Evening Redness in the West C22
Double Dot Dash
I am trying to refrain from making any jokes about this album title because I have to remember my roll as a reviewer and not as a comedian. It seems the only time I utter something I think is funny I end up being the only one laughing. I’m sure any comedy is not intended on The Evening Redness in the West though because in addition to the abstract, colorless artwork the song titles are quite foreboding.
It turns out …

Colorguard – Channels C13
Elm Recordings
Yet another unknown artist from this label and right here in New England as well! I love hearing new and interesting artists one of the few reasons I write these things. This is a quick blast of two opposing tracks represented well with the artwork using inverted white/black art on the cover.
Side A is all lo-fi noise destruction relentless in it’s attack. Not exactly harsh but more hypnotic and mesmerizing. Side B features echoing smooth layers of harmonic sounds forming a droning din of pulsating trails.
At …

Jon Ericksen – The Pale Light C15
Elm Recordings
The artwork for this release is a minimalist/kitschy affair using a light blue j-card with an animal skull on the front. The design works on a few levels so it sets up for the music although the sound here isn’t perhaps what I was expecting.
Jon Ericksen creates some filthy distorted tunes. Yes tunes, because there is “music” happening behind the layers of distortion, minimalist kind of piano lines that remind me of early Philip Glass or something, but they’re difficult to make out …

Amalgamated – Spark II 3″CDr
Intangible Cat
Spark II is the second installment of the Spark series from the artist Amalgamated and immediately noticeable is the link in packaging design. It’s unique yet tied to the first volume as well using a vinyl sticker on the front of the case to create negative/positive space with the inner insert artwork. It works and is striking to the eye as well as providing something different.
The music inside is of the experimental electronica variety which isn’t normally my thing but I have to say this …

M. Todd & L. Kerr – Beyond The Threshold CDr
No Visible Scars
Larry Kerr is a member of the massive death industrial unit Steel Hook Prostheses while M. Todd is the man behind the project Transcendent Device. I don’t have any experience with the work of the latter project but if the work of SHP is any indication as to how this will sound I will guess this is going to be a descent into pure darkness with little hope. Before delving into the sound though, I want to mention that …

+Dog+ – Greetings from Moot Point California CD
Love Earth Music
+Dog+ is a project that always seems to perplex me. I’m always on the edge of whether or not I’m into it and with their latest effort Greetings from Moot Point California they make things even more difficult. First off the absolutely terrible graphic design on the packaging is a site to behold. Not just obviously photoshopped, but badly photoshopped the art makes use of fonts in the most atrocious of ways. The color scheme is ridiculous as well; combining light …

Lavas Magmas – Dark Mantle C34
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
Dark Mantle is a Lavas Magmas release I have yet to hear and I am psyched to fire this baby up. Lavas Magmas is the project of Luis Gonzalez who has been creating abstract sound since roughly 2009.
The work of Lavas Magmas usually lies within the realm of ambient industrial utilizing scrap metal sounds and heavy organic-like synth sounds to create a mix of soaring drone and experimental underpinnings. Most of this tape stays true to the traditional Lavas Magmas sound but …

Agarttha – A Water Which Does Not Wet Hands LP
King of the Monsters Records
This one took me by surprise. I had never heard the project or was familiar with the label at all. The artwork is simple and understated yet the packaging comes with a nice fold-out poster on heavy stock. The music presented within is a great mix of psychedelic drone, goth, and neo-folk.
Most of the tracks feature underlying minimal drum beats with either drones or subtle yet simple melodic ideas and a driving bass line. The atmosphere is …

Peter J Woods & Instinct Control – What We’ve Done 3″CDr
FTAM
What We’ve Done is a pairing of two midwest artists Peter J Woods hailing from Milwaukee and Instinct Control from Chicago. They both produce experimental music but in slightly different forms. Wood’s sound is usually more composed with a darker touch and Instinct Control’s is more free from and improvisational.
This disc collides the styles of the two artists very well working off the strengths of each. Instinct Control’s usually ultra-dry and raw sound is mixed with Wood’s manipulated and morphed …

Instinct Control – Who We Are 3″CDr
FTAM
Instinct Control is Ryan Dunn not to be confused of course with the late, great Ryan Dunn of the infamous Jack Ass prank troupe. The Ryan Dunn we are concerned about is a resident of Chicago, the man behind the unrelenting experimental noise project Instinct Control, and one of the people responsible for the Enemy show space which gave host to many incredible shows during it’s duration.
My first experience with the project was a live performance where Dunn manipulated a 4 track tape machine …

Raven – Extinction C20
Diazepam
Raven is one of the acts that has been around for 2 years and now has over 33 releases. I personally applaud the effort of the project as I have absolutely no idea how it’s possible to release that many records in such a small amount of time. Yet at the same time I tend to raise an eyebrow at the quality that those records may or may not embody.
All skepticism aside taking a listen to the tape yields some decent ambient/noise textures. Side A kicks off …

Kata To Chreon – The Sterilization of Eve CDr
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
Kata To Chreon is a project I am unfamiliar with and on The Sterilization of Eve they present a sound that can only be the result of Skinny Puppy, Plaid, and Brighter Death Now collectively giving birth to some monstrosity. Not to say the sound here is bad, it’s just a really strange mix of different styles.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say this music is original, but I will give them the credit of using quite creative sounds. …

Pestdemon – Helvetesljuset LP
Unrest Productions
Pestdemon is an act that I had reviewed before and found some potential in the sounds. The man behind the project is Andreas Johansson and the material here is beautifully presented by Unrest Productions with some really exemplary artwork. Definitely an LP worthy of procuring in physical format.
Side A contains 2 tracks the first Silhuett Av Tva Horn an excellent ambient/noise track using modified samples of orchestral music with heavy washes of distortion. I’m not sure when the composition eventually melds into the second track entitled …

AMFJ – Baen CD
FALK
Immediately striking is the design of the disc packaging here with a decidedly modern feel. Yet, it’s eye-catching in it’s minimalism and thought provoking in it’s maximilism. Contradictory? Sure. But I feel that is part of the allure here.
Before delving into the sound I inspected the information attached. From the design I expected some clean kind of experimental drone music with maybe even a touch of acdemic flavor. The inside information seemed to confirm this, with a note saying all music is composed with Jeskola Buzz, free …

Diatribes – Three Studies On The Failure Of Language To Comprehend C60
Self Released
I wasn’t able to find any info on this artist so I have to post without any available links. Diatribes is an act I am completely unfamiliar with and with this tape they present some messy packaging design coupled with swampy droning doom. The only thing I know about the project is that one member is Dean Costello also of the project Wasterlanders.
Side A is all slowly strummed guitar chords which is wholeheartedly not my thing. Maybe it’s …

Wastelanders – Cosmic Despair CD
Calls and Correspondence/Basses Frequences
Wastelanders is a solo side project by Dean Costello, who is also active in Harpoon, Diatribes, and Winters in Osaka. It’s quite the gamut of projects so it’s hard to predict what style of sound Costello will embrace for his solo project Wastelanders.
It turns out that what is offered here is slowly rotating pitched harmonic drone music. Judging on the inside photo I’m guessing most of the sounds are culled from a guitar, but honestly it sounds like an organ for the bulk …

Grunt – Someone is Watching CD
Force Majeure
This is a re-issue of an early tape release that was also on the Force Majeure label and originally released in 1998. As Grunt’s very first release was in 1994, this is quite early in the project’s lifespan and it’s certainly interesting to hear material from these formative years. The re-mastering on the album is quite pristine which makes the quality clear and abrasive, definitely a good way to start with a re-issue.
The defining characteristic between this earlier work and Grunt’s current work is …

Songs From the Otherworld – Mycophagy 3″CDR
Self Released
There are a few immediate warning signs just regarding the packaging of this release. It could be the shitty plastic sleeve that surrounds it, or the terrible type work. It could also be the photoshop filtered artwork but perhaps the most glaring thing is short explanation contained on the cover: “drone music for journeying: electronically altered reality.” Honestly I don’t know why you would have to explain something that is at the same time so meaningless, but also is something that is abstract …

Kevin Greenspon – Unveiling C25
Monorail Trespassing
Kevin Greenspon is a musician who focuses on guitar drone, electroacoustic, and noise. The latter two genres are a smaller percentage of his output which culminates under his own name.
What you will find here is kind of like an instrumental version of Grouper with melancholy guitar lines interwoven in ambient forms and layered, looped and affected to form sparkling stalactites of sound. The atmosphere is a peaceful but somber one yet is quite consistent throughout.
The noise elements here are few and far between but …

Funerary Call – Beckoning at the Black CD
Fall of Nature
Beckoning at the Black was originally recorded back in 2004. Now the album sees a reissue on Fall of Nature Records, the label that has already reissued The Black Root. Of course the questions that reissues always raise: What makes this reissue different from the original? Does this material stand the test of time? and finally, Is It really worth it?
With each of these questions answered it seems to lead to the next, and I can’t be too sure of …

Rale – I Sit By the Window and Watch Walls and Ceiling CD
Monorail Trespassing
I couldn’t help but brace myself for the excitement that the title of this album conjures. All jokes aside, I assumed this would be a minimalist, maybe ambient affair and it appears I was right. Rale is a project that is entirely new to me and they deliver some interesting quiet and soft atmospheres on this disc which totals about 50 minutes in length.
Luckily the song titles are actually much more exciting, or at least more intriguing …

Shiver – The Light Within has Turned to Darkness C20
Diazepam
I remember the last Shiver album to be more along a more noisy, power electronics vein, but here we have a good delivery of dark ambient/death industrial to mark a new turn in their work. I dig the packaging here with the j-card being printed on textured paper, simple artwork and text make the release have that kind of old school feel that is also recalled in the music.
The production of the tape makes it slightly more difficult to say how …

Conure/15 Degrees Below Zero – Split C60
Danvers State Recordings
This hefty split tape sees two artists whom I haven’t heard from for some time. Definitely good to see them back at it though as this is a solid showing of creative ambient/noise soundscapes. I’m not too into the artwork which is all blurry and presents a mix of ugly colors and fonts, but luckily the sounds don’t correlate.
Side A sees Conure strutting his stuff. It’s a good example of electronic ambient noise using a variety of drone textures sounding mostly as …

Vasculae – Cultural Primitivism CD
Monorail Trespassing
Vasculae is a side project of Jon Borges also the man behind the label releasing the disc as well as Pedestrian Deposit and Emeciator among other projects. Cultural Primitivism lays down three hefty tracks in around 50 minutes of no-holds-barred harsh noise with a small amount of experimental atmospheres.
One thing that is interesting is that the quality of the noise is much different from his other projects. It has a very crunchy and up-front sound. There is not much experimentation with space, pacing, and composition …

Massdirge – Untitled CDR
[Self Released]
Housed in a circular metallic box with lightly rusted exterior this CDR is quite a work of art in and of itself. Luckily it’s not just the packaging that makes this release a worthwhile experience.
Massdirge presents intense industrial drone sludge which focuses on repetitive rhythmic elements and elongated guitar riffs. Normally I wouldn’t really go for this kind of thing, and I do think that some of the guitar elements even in this release are a bit overplayed. But luckily Massdirge mixes it up with a …

Andrew Quitter – Forgotten Farms C30
Diazepam
Andrew Quitter is a man of many faces though they all certainly share the same head. Operating under monikers such as Regosphere and Suburbia Melting he also heads the Dumpsterscore Home Recordings label which releases a wide variety of underground noise, industrial and experimental music. In summation, if you’re not familiar with his work you need to get up to speed.
When Quitter operates under his own name the auditory style usually falls into a synth ambient quality with cinematic tendencies. The compositions here reflect this …

The Black Scorpio Underground – …………Pure Hate Fuck…………… C30
Husk Records
This is a sickened tape from this up and coming black noise act. Let’s start with the design here: probably one of the most fucked up collages I’ve ever seen. Putting nun’s heads on porno stars, penises on children, and pentagrams on refugee’s foreheads this is some krazy shite.
Side A represents this artwork well with an audio collage of horror movie samples and awkward noise. One very noticeable thing here is that the panning is really strange and awkward not really …

Mind & Flesh – Martyr Generation CD
Force Majeure
Mind & Flesh is a project I know nothing about. Besides coming from the Force Majeure label – which apparently is yet another sub label of Nuit Et Brouilliard – the act is unknown to me. Martyr Generation is however, a pretty great introduction to the project.
What you will find on Martyr Generation is rhythmic – but not quite danceable – power electronics/industrial much reminding me of Irikarah, Haus Arafna, and Mind & Flesh’ label mates Objekt/Urian. Some of the tracks are …

Minamata – Niigata CD
Zone De Confusion
Despite being active since 1984 Minamata seems to have had a long bout of absence from 1991 to 2009. It wasn’t until his resurgence in the latter part of the 2000s that I discovered the project for myself. It’s unclear when exactly this particular re-issue of the cassette from 1985 was released but they added into the mix a mammoth 17 minute track to close things out which was recorded in 2002. Quite a nice addition.
If you’re a fan of noise/power electronics or industrial you …

Actuary/The Black Scorpio Underground – Metamorphosis of the Transgressor C30
Love Earth Music
This is a pairing that seems to make sense. Both Actuary and The Black Scorpio Underground tend to meander over that line between ambient and noise in a similar style. This is also, the first release on cassette that I have received from Love Earth Music, is it marking a new era for the label? Who knows, but I am quite fine with it.
Actuary is up first on side A with one long track entitled Stricken Host Lies Down. …

Hheva/Shiver – Troubled Sleep C40
Diazepam
It’s kind of weird that this split should bear the same name as Prurient’s seminal album. There are so many great combination of words and images to conjure out there I don’t know why in hell you would choose the exact title of an already landmark noise album. But besides this little pet peeve of mine I dig the simple packaging and delivery on this release. Shiver is familiar to me as I have reviewed them before but Hheva is a new name.
Side A contains …

Objekt/Urian – Tonfragmente II CD
Zone de Confusion
Objekt/Urian is a project that has apparently completely evaded my radar since the year 2000! Always amazing that one can find new things after this many years in the noise scene. Zone de Confusion is a sub-label of Nuit et Brouillard, the long running industrial label.
Presented in Tonfragmente II is a very clean sound of industrial/power electronics much reminding me of a mix between the groups Irikarah and Haus Arafna. Sure, they are great starting points but I’m not sure that Objekt/Urian ever …

Vehement Caress – Existential Squalor C30
Apicult Recordings
Yet more work from Boston’s finest Vehement Caress. It’s a project that is continuing to expand his sound and styles. Where the last release reviewed here was Flawed Eternity – a drone album dabbling in powerful synth atmospheres – now Existential Squalor brings back the lo-fi noise and power electronics in full force.
Side A is really enjoyable with a handful of tracks that are quite varied. Ranging from throbbing power electronics with hateful vocal attacks to sampled speeches accompanied by noise loops and building …

Epaulettes – An Exhortation in Martyrdom C30
Self Released
Epaulettes is an artist hailing from Boston who works with a variety of synthesizers and effects to create heavy industrial-influenced drone. The artwork here is quite understated with merely an abstract shadowy image, perhaps of the artist himself as the cover. It fits the disembodied death drone well, and reflects the minimalist aesthetic.
Side A works very well with it’s early onslaught of very airy industrial ambience. Whispery frequencies coupled with heavy tones eventually build up to an intense powerful synth throb. Then the …

Vehement Caress – Flawed Eternity C40
Apicult Recordings
Vehement Caress is Lex Russo, an understated dark electronics project from Boston MA. He also runs the low key tape label Apicult Recordings on which this cassette is released. In the past I have enjoyed Vehement Caress’ output which usually is heavy squalls of harsh electronics ranging from throbbing industrial to seething power electronics.
Flawed Eternity is a different beast though. Embracing more of an aggressive ambience sound here Russo explores the depths of synthesis and atmosphere, a tact much different from his previous output. …

Jaguar Crystal Palace – There is Going to Be a Change of Power C60
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
I have to admit it is not until this moment that I realized Dumpsterscore Home Recordings has a recycled tape series. I am very pleased about this – even more esoteric sounds to explore! Jaguar Crystal Palace has very little information about them available anywhere on the net and even after a quick search I couldn’t find any info about this release on the label’s website even.
JCP present a curious amalgamation of sounds. Meandering (yes, …

White Water Orgasm – When Was I Ever Wrong CD
L.White Records
I am unfamiliar with this project and upon setting my eyes on this release I had no idea what the expect. The artwork recalls more of a hallmark card than a power electronics release but this seems to be the general aesthetic of the artist.
What we are presented with is about an hour of blistering power electronics. The tracks are formulaic with basically one layer of either noise or meandering harmonies and vocals plastered on top. Although none of it …

V/A – Death Season II CDr
Darker Days Ahead
Death Season II is a well rounded compilation representing a good variety of artists and sounds. It’s curated with care and has a flowing stream of tracks which seems to make sense and lets the artists sounds unfold with effectiveness. Although there’s maybe some part of me that feels that half of these artists are one-shot wonders they all manage to churn out some decent material which is rather unexpected for a compilation of lesser known artists like this.
As far as this review …

A Night To Dismember – Chicken Heart 3″CDr
Diazepam
Chicken Heart is a nicely put together release featuring a good dosage of harsh noise and power electronic sounds. Simple black & white artwork adorning off-white paper gives it a unique D.I.Y. feel.
The sound here is crisp and crusty. Well produced with frequencies searing in both the high and low-ends. The evolution of the track is a little choppy but keeps things unpredictable. The basic sounds here are heavy layers of distortion, some metallic movement here and ther,e a skip of delay or …

Svaixt – Lo C45
Terror
Svaixt is a side project of Laurynas Jukonis, the man who is also behind Girnų Giesmės. He apparently had an opportunity to travel to Upper Mustang which is an isolated mountain city in the far reaches of Nepal.
Lo is mostly a compilation of various field recordings from this enigmatic habitat which is Tibetan in culture. So what you can expect here are droning chants, windy ambiences, bells, and foreign walla. There are some tracks that stand out like the opener which consists of a glassy abstract drone …

Innana – Signal/Or/Minimal CD
Crowd Control Activities
Released way back in 1999, I got my hands on this little sucker during my last trip to RRR. The running time clocks in at about an hour here so I figured, why not write a review while I’m listening to it? I’m a big fan of Innana’s previous works yet this release is a step in a different direction.
Signal/Or/Minimal seems quite a fitting title as these tracks are more on the minimal side of things. Yet despite that they morph and evolve rather …

Pusdrainer – Sexual Revulsion C33
Danvers State Recordings
The lo-fi collage artwork on this disc much reminds me of an 80s horror flick like Street Trash or something which is pretty much along the same lines of Pusdrainer’s aesthetic. A very nicely done job by Danvers State Recordings and a quick preparation for the grimy sounds inside.
This is possibly the most raw Pusdrainer recording to date, yet it’s also quite a full spectrum of sound. Although in the description from the label it says this is close to wall noise I might …

Aiden Baker & Thisquietarmy – Orange CD
Lunasylum
Orange is a heady disc chalked full of resplendent guitar drone from these two artists. The disc features blurry, dreamy orange art in a slick slipcase. Clocking in at 46 minutes it contains 8 tracks of glistening atmospheres.
The tracks seem to melt into one epic journey with an ever-evolving centrifuge of sound. Ebbing and flowing from high mountain peaks into deep abysmal depths there are moments here that feature controlled synth noise, soaring harmonies and even some subtle melodies here and there. I think …

The Infant Cycle – Left Ear Revolt CDr
The Ceiling Limited
The Infant Cycle is another previously unknown project to me. On Left Ear Revolt they present roughly 53 minutes in 9 tracks of varied experimental electronica styled sounds.
Most of the tracks here are in the repetitive drone style of things with clean harmonic synthesizer sounds slowly evolving among a bed of various glitch accents. It has a very laid back vibe to it, modern and electric.
There are other stylistic elements added here and there like the brief industrial sounds in …

Kazuma Kubota/S.I.V. – Split 7″
Cipher Productions/Underground Pollution
Delivered in understated packaging – a simple atmospheric black and white photo on the front and hand-stamped labels on the vinyl – this little release packs a serious punch. It’s good to see the efforts of two labels and two artists coming together so simply yet consistently.
Kazuma Kubota is up first with a whirlwind of a track. Kicking things off with excellent industrial atmospheres of machinery and metal sounds, the track suddenly blasts into a miasma of harsh noise mayhem about 2 minutes in. …

Skin Graft/Deterge – Sinkhole/Neglectronic LP
Fusty Cunt
A pairing of two scummy midwest harsh electronics artists can’t get better then this. At this point these dudes are mainstays of the scene and represent the economical decay of the area pretty well with thier raw and bitter sounds. The packaging here reminds me of something RRR might have released at some point but with nicer inserts that were apparrently printed by Phage Tapes who always knows whats up.
Skin Graft is up first with absolutely tortured musique concrete junk noise. Shit tons of distortion …

Pacing & VWLS – Collaborations Vol. 1 CDr
Human Beard Records
Human Beard presents this collaboration on CDr which features our boys Pacing from Buffalo NY and an unknown act to me VWLS. The album is available on CDr or also for download here.
Pacing usually delivers droning walls of intense noise attacks complete with walls of feedback and insane synth surges. This effort is rather more subdued and I have to say I am enjoying it a lot. Although it’s quite short clocking in at only 18 minutes the tracks are …

Ex.Order – The Law of Heresy CD
Industrial Recollections
Ex.Order is the side project of René Lehmann and Knut Enderlein who mainly function as dark ambient powerhouse Inade. For the uninitiated Ex.Order is the more noisy, power electronics side of the duo. This release is a re-issue of the original tape released in 1997. It sounds like the material has been remastered well though, as the recording is crisp and clear while retaining its lo-fi origins.
The Law of Heresy represents all that was great about industrial/pe in the late 90s. Simple song …

Brandkommando – Changes C60
Nil By Mouth
Brandkommando is a project that I have still not made up my mind about yet. Their material tends to be solid yet even out of their rather large body of work they haven’t released anything that strikes me as very memorable. This is a full-length release on tape once again nicely packaged by the excellent label Nil By Mouth.
Side A demonstrates much of what I’ve come to expect from the project. Long winded tracks of chugging death industrial, or whirring hums with feedback layered on …

Animal Steel/EUU – Split C30
Self Released
This is an exciting release to have found in my review pile as these are two lesser known Boston artists. Animal Steel is Ted of the infamous PE trio 2DeadSluts 1GoodFuck. EUU is Joey who also operates as Typical White Male. Both artists focus on experimental electronics yet this release offers some surprises.
EUU is up first featuring one long track on side A with squelching analog synth pulses combined with crusty atonal throbs. It’s an echoing sci-fi alien planet vibe with spastic tape manipulations, and …

Lupus Sol – Lupus Sol CDr
Live Bait Recording Foundation
I’m not totally sure but I believe Lupus Sol is a collaboration between Aaron Vilk of Nyodene D and Stephen Petrus of Murderous Vision, two diehards of the Cleveland industrial scene. This disc spans 4 tracks and 47 minutes of death industrial/drone.
The general sound here has a focus on texture most of which is different forms of metallic drones. Where Invokation / Hight Tension has a noisier chug to it and more shifts than the following The Eroded Face of Edward Paine, …

Suicide Bomber – Do Amphetamines and Fuck Everything CDr
Self Released
Suicide Bomber is a currently defunct power electronics project from Calgary Canada. He now performs as Citadel which I’ve heard is somewhat in the same direction as this material goes. What he presents with this quick CDr is 2 tracks totaling 12 minutes so this is definitely an “EP”.
The first track is simply titled Worship and is more of a buildup track that leads into the intensity of the second track. Textured feedback tones eventually build into a wash of intense …

Gnarly Sheen – Tansit of Venus CDr
Dumpsterscore Home Recordings
Gnarly Sheen is a new name to me, obviously a take on the actor Charlie Sheen who has actually become pretty gnarly himself. Simple packaging surrounds this limited disc which contains 7 tracks of varied synth music in 28 minutes.
The majority of the disc falls into the more musical realm of things using synths, drum machines and employing various melodies and harmonic tones. The music is roughly strewn together and also roughly performed. There are elements of drone, kraut rock, and early …

Merzbow/Actuary – Freak Hallucinations LP
Obfuscated Records/Love Earth Music
It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve reviewed a Merzbow release but now I’m remembering it wasn’t that long ago having reviewed his LP on Blossoming Noise which unfortunately was sonically completely forgettable. Now I am faced with a split between Him (capitalized because Akita is of course, the God of noise) and up-and-comers Actuary who seem to be getting around a bit lately.
Merzbow is up first utilizing a digital feel with crazy atonal computer babble accompanied by some rather weak distorted …

Kevin Greenspon – Maroon Bells CDr
Bridgetown Records
Kevin Greenspon is a traveling solo musician who creates melodies and textures of guitar drone also touching on ambient, noise, and musique concrete. The style lies somewhere in between Fennesz and Grouper.
The disc has an air of melancholy to it featuring mainly peaceful floating atmospheres. The tracks are very well layered and almost delicate in their structure and sparseness. This is listening for a rainy Sunday, or a peaceful snowfall.
The tracks are varied enough to easily keep the interest of the listener while also …

Ophibre/Hunted Creatures – Split C40
Oph Sound Recordings
Drone, experimental, ambient are the styles that both these acts employ. Packaged in an intricately layered affair the tape isn’t too far off from the sounds it contains. For those of you unawares, Ophibre is from Boston and Hunted Creatures from Pittsburgh yet both haunt the same dusty corner of the scene.
Ophibre is up first with a beautiful drone track. Glistening stalactites of varied spectra ensorcel the listener with their haunting harmonics. The track is constant throughout but the textures are so finely interwoven …

Iron Fist of the Sun – I Will Never Have the Right CD
Freak Animal
I lost track of IFOTS releases a few years ago when this artist became too prolific to keep up with. Although they are still using iconography of Princess Diana all over the place I’m not really sure if her visage remains to be anything more than a logo for the project at this point. Predictably the release features simple, understated black and white artwork with minimal text.
The artwork reflects the sounds well because what is to be …

Thisquietarmy – Black Haunters CD
Elevation Records
Black Haunters really threw me for a loop after having only some bare knowledge that Thisquietarmy is a guitar drone act. I guess I have a certain prejudice for these acts that mix ambient with post-rock to be rather bland and generic. It turns out though that Thisquietarmy is anything but that and they show it well on Black Haunters and epic full length that demonstrates a gorgeous mix of ambient, drone, and post-rock.
Easing the listener into the album with the first 2 tracks the …

Theologian – Finding Comfort in Overwhelming Negativity CD
Handmade Birds
Yet another epic release from Lee Bartow the man behind the now retired NTT project and now operating under the moniker of Theologian. Clocking in at 52 minutes this disc is a flowing mind warp of power drone, dark sounds, and even – with a change of pace for the project – some electro beats thrown in for good measure.
The latter of which marks perhaps the largest shift in Bartow’s sound in years. I’ll be honest I’m not a huge fan of …

V/A – Untitled C60
Tapes of a Neon God
At four different artists on a release I am making a judgement call and labeling this a compilation. Especially when it’s only a C60. What is presented here is some violent shit. A layout featuring cut-up and bloody arms and a group of depraved artists creating heavy-as-all-fuck noise this is some serious shit. The only issue I have with the layout is that the text is really hard to read.
Shattered Hymen is up first with a wall of junk noise. They cover a …

GRKZGL/Flatgrey – Split C23
Brise-Cul Records
Strait out of the Brise-Cul camp here and it’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed anything but the label keeps on churning out releases. This is a great one with two sides of unparallelled harsh noise attacks.
Side A features GRKZGL’s contribution. Although I’ve witnessed the project do harsh noise live numerous times it’s a change since his early days which were in the drone world. Luckily this insane barrage of crusty junk is intense and unrelenting with excellent moments, buildups, and climaxes that shows that GRKZGL really …

Death Factory – Machinen Untter Kontrolle CD
No Visible Scars
I couldn’t think of a more appropriate name for a death industrial project as Death Factory. Luckily they represent the genre well and Machinen Untter Kontrolle follows up the excellent Chilling Impressions tape perfectly.
The album kicks off with the title track which is a throbbing attack not unlike something offered up by Brighter Death Now. The following track Manifestation of Fear (3rd Version) is a continuation on a track that appeared in previous tape and it features a great combination of …

Josh Lay/Crown of Bone – This is a Tourniquet of the Light, The Black Obituary CD
Obfuscated Records
High contrast abstract artwork adorns the face of this release and it’s a good indication of the bleak sounds that lurk within. This is a split release with one long track from each artist.
Josh Lay is an artist hailing from the American mid-west and he creates organic black ambient/drone. His track here entitled Shroud of Ice and Bird Feathers lives up to his reputation quite well. Understated quiet textures of sewer drains, broken electronics, …

Hostage Pageant – Manipulated Memories C47
Rainbow Bridge
Based on the artwork I thought this was a 905 Tapes release which means I like it. This is in fact coming out of the Rainbow Bridge camp and is limited to 22 copies. I’d be surprised if there’s any left at this point.
Hostage Pageant presents several tracks on each side all titled Memory parts 1 through 6. Side A is harsh pedal noise, spastic and changing with thick squalls of synthesizer attacks, low bass howls and squirmy layers. Some muddled samples seem to …

Seplophobia/Post-Mortem Junkie – Split CDr
Abgvrd
This is a reissue of a split tape that seems to have been already re-released twice. Abgvrd’s version marks perhaps the third time this release is seeing the light of day. The split seems like a good matchup based on the artist names with the literal meaning of Seplophobia meaning “a fear of decay”.
Seplophobia kicks off with a quick horror film sample and immediately leads into a distorted bass dirge of pure crunchy noise. The track remains this way with little evolution. Only some frequency …

Werewolf Jerusalem/The Black Scorpio Underground – Split C30
Hatemail Records
This one is delivered in some rather badly arranged packaging. Most immediately noticeable is that the artwork is blurry and pixelated in addition to not being very well designed. The release also consists of only one cassette yet it is in a box that is made for two. Not a huge issue but it’s just not very well executed.
Werewolf Jerusalem is the project of Richard Ramirez who is also responsible for the infamous noise unit Black Leather Jesus. In this split Ramirez …

Urna – Liber Lelle CDr
Abgvrd
Here’s a beautifully delicate arrangement of ritualistic ambient sounds – I believe from Italy? – released on Russian label Abgvrd. The basic drawn artwork doesn’t really compare to the subtle and atmospheric sounds represented here which are quite distinct.
Among the instruments listed in use on Liber Lelle are bells, cymbals, mandolin, balalaika, zither, accordion, and flutes. These instruments do not generally make a presence through traditional means but instead they are used to create sparse compositions of musique concrete and minimal atmospheres. However, it gives …

Holy Family Parish – Lis C45
Razors and Medicine
Holy Family Parish is a project I haven’t had much experience with and a quick search on discogs shows that their output is limited. With this tape they present a good handful of tracks ranging from guitar ambient, to throbbing minimalist sounds.
The tracks here are very diverse with each one offering a different take. It makes the album sound rather scattered yet also quite esoteric. As if these tracks were collected over a long period of time and each one from very different …

Luasa Raelon – The House of Flesh CD
Snip-Snip
It’s been some time since I’ve heard from Luasa Raelon and his last album Vampyr was released in 2010. This release is from what is now way back in 2008. Seems like just yesterday and could be based on the excellent sound that Reed presents here.
Combing his trademark alternating synth drones, rumbling noises, and pulsating bass thrusts Reed continues the legacy he has set forth for Luasa Raelon with The House of Flesh. The tracks are varied but use similar source material and …

Shattered Hymen – Gash Worship C20
Anabolic Dimensions
Here’s some ultra raw noise from Chicago. These dudes appear to be influenced by power electronics and most definitely harsh noise but the pe influence doesn’t come across in their sound too much – mainly only in the aesthetic of packaging design.
The noise here is actually surprisingly wanky and not very harsh. Much more on the experimental side of things with bare passages leading into quickly moving feedback manipulation. The fact that it’s almost not layered at all though prevents it from being heavy …

Lethal Dose 50 – 21st Century Awakening CD
Nuit et Brouillard
Here’s an album that was released way back in 2006. Not sure why it was sent to me for review now but I’m trying not to refuse anything. 21st Century Awakening is an album that spans industrial, ambient, electro and synth pop and unfortunately it’s spread a little thin for my taste.
The tracks where LD50 stays committed to one style are decent, like Dose V.S.291 and Solitude. But when LD50 strays into electronica territory it tends to ruin the mood too …

Autocancrena – Homo Sacer 3″CDr
Diazepam
Here’s a very nicely packaged 3″CDr, a step above what I’ve seen from Diazapam already. The artwork is simple and portrays the sound on the disc accurately which is also quite basic in its delivery.
The disc contains two tracks the first Malsana Dottrina is a simple dark ambient piece with delayed and reverberating chants being quite organic and meditative. The second track is more electronic with sinister electronic pulses, muffled samples yet also remaining minimalistic.
The material here reminds me of the quieter moments of Brighter Death …

Kama Rupa – :Kama:Kontra:Kontrol: CD
Regimental Records
Here’s a release from the esoteric New York city based outfit Kama Rupa. This digipak is beautifully packaged with iconic design and simple text layout that makes for a professional presentation.
Oddly enough there is a tracklist of 5 different songs listed on the back but the audio is presented all in one track on the disc with obvious movements showing each individual passage.
The style here is intimate and sordid which is what makes Kama Rupa so special. Spanning dark ambient, death industrial, sound collage and …

Ophibre – Psyllium Husks C38
905 Tapes
Another sick release from 905 Tapes this time from Boston native Ophibre. My first exposure to his work was his release Drone Works for Differing Digital Audio Formats and Encoding Methods which wasn’t so much a proper release but an experiment that yielded rather interesting results.
Side A sounds consists of one long evolving track which is an in-studio live recording. I mean to emphasize evolving because the composition here is great. What starts out with awkward circuit bent sounds eventually forms into a drone piece …

Pusdrainer – Ejaculation Spree C32
Jungle Crunk
Pusdrainer is the project of Justin Lakes hailing out of the midwest US. If you’re not familiar with the project you can usually expect the crudest and rawest of harsh noise mayhem with a sleight power electronics edge to it.
Ejaculation Spree is no exception. Housed in a pasted together photocopied artwork from the outset the release screams filth. What you will find inside is lo-fi harsh noise which could be derived from a plethora of pedals or from a menagerie of homemade electronics.
One thing that …

Amalgamate – Spark I 3″CDr
Intangible Cat
This is one from left field. Amalgamate is a previously unknown project to me and they present a quick fix of floating ambient drone with electronica beats intermixed within in.
The sound is dreamy yet fluid with this odd combination of styles much reminding me of acts like Plaid, early Aphex Twin or Autechre while at the same time not being quite as complex or technical as those projects.
The longest track here A Wedge of Raging Cygnets is the most original with a sing-song like quality …

Pulsating Cyst – Horrible Signal 7″
Obfuscated Records
Here’s a release where neither artist nor label rings a bell, but there’s a sticker on the package that boasts glow-in-the-dark vinyl! You have my attention. Deep green artwork with card stock inserts and stickers make this a worthy fetish item before even spinning it.
The material here was recorded from live performances so it’s good you can get an idea of what the project sounds like live. Luckily the quality isn’t held back at all from this because the production is very thick and …

Ophibre – Drone Works for Differing Audio Formats and Encoding Methods CDR
Sentient Recognition Archive
Here’s one for all the audio geeks and the just plain curious. Drone Works for Differing Audio Format and Encoding Methods is just that, a disc that; a disc that is in the .cda format (data is arranged as a regular ‘playable’ CD) which features audio that was once encoded in the format that the track was named after.
So since each track is named the exact type of audio encoding that was applied to the source it’s …

Fungi From Yuggoth – Fungi From Yuggoth C30
Diazepam/Lightbulb
Here’s a tape housed in a polar fleece sleeve, I can only assume it’s to protect the outside world from the cold heart contained within these sounds. Fungi From Yuggoth is based on a series of poems by H.P. Lovecraft and this release is available as either a tape from Diazepam or a free download from Lightbulb records.
The promo blurb suggests that the music is recommended for fans of Brighter Death Now and I would have to confirm that’s not far off. There …