Concrete Isolation Box – Love Under Steel and Concrete CDr

Self Released

Love Under Steel and Concrete is Concrete Isolation Box’s debut. The idea here is harsh drones and pounding walls of noise. This is a formula that I’ve seen countless times in the noise music scene and, unfortunately, Concrete Isolation Box (C.I.B. from here on) doesn’t really do anything that hasn’t been done before. Pure blasts of distortion with vocals ominously rising out of the mix is something that noise and power electronics acts have been doing for years, and while C.I.B. nails the whole hatred and nihility on Love Under Steel and Concrete, a dismal and intense tone alone does not (usually) a good album make.

My biggest issue with this album is that there really is little to no variation to speak of. There are hints of rhythm that lend a slightly industrial feel but for the most part, the sound here consists of unrelenting, stubborn distortion that is dirty and odious but does not work the entire time. To the album’s credit, Uuden Erämaan Lapset, the final song, actually works out very well. C.I.B. incorporates subtle melodies under the distortion and I just wish it didn’t take an entire album to get to this track. Overall, there’s not much to see here. Noise at its blandest is my unfortunate summary.

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