The Teratologist – Cabinet of Curiosities C30

Cathartic Process

Cabinet of Curiosities is a standard tape in a plastic case with simple text and graphics in high-contrast black and white adorning the j-card. It’s a simple, professional looking item and after dealing with all this weird packaging I’ve been collecting it seems somewhat refreshing. The tracks are simply named “Cabinet of Curiosities Part I & II” one track for each side.

Slow, dirgy, awkward, The Teratologist delivers industrial experimental music here. The strange torture device that adorns the cover seems so fitting for these sounds that bring to mind an awkward first killing – like the American guy from Hostel. See what happens when you burn your restrained victim with a blow torch, then cut them with a dull knife. Pretty sick images somehow conjured through this instrumental music.

Part II picks up right around where Part I left off. The sounds are similar but this time it seems a little thicker, denser, and more layers added to the mix. Inevitably this means things are a bit louder as well. Some of the textures and sounds in here I really enjoy like the little spurts of sounds so similar to rusty gears or the moving drones sounding like manipulated string glissandos. The Teratologist’s sound here is basically a thick core of shiny metallic drones with many synthesizer and metal-like sounds on top, sweeping in pitch, filters, and ebbing and flowing. The atmosphere is very creepy, the production is a bit compressed but the sounds themselves are detailed and interesting which make for a great journey through the darkest dungeons of old.

A unique and pleasing release for the weirdoes. If I could compare this to anything it would probably be Beastia Centauri who is another great act, but where Beastia Centauri is more on the ambient side of things, The Teratologist is very industrial influenced. The electroacoustic elements here are prominent as well and serves to give Cabinet of Curiosities so much of it’s character. Excellent release!

Composition:
Sounds:
Production Quality:
Concept:
Packaging:
Overall Rating: