A Benefit for Stephen Petrus: "When one has nothing left make ceremonies out of the air and breathe upon them"

This post was initially going to be a review of a brand new compilation, but I've decided that due to the timeliness of matters, it's most important for me to simply put this out for the world to experience without going into great depth. Why? Because when this album is a compilation set to benefit Stephen Petrus, a member of the noise community whose house burnt down on January 8th. The public might view extreme musicians as groups of unsavory people, but I can't think of too many examples of such a large community coming together like this to help one of its own in other musical genres. So, instead of spending lengthy paragraphs telling you how the appropriately titled "Recovery From Flames" from Marc Benner is one of my standout tracks or how great it is to be introduced to Petrus' own music with the killer tune "Scarlet Apocalypse I" from his project Lithopædion, I'm simply using this space to encourage you to purchase this compilation and help this fellow reclaim a small part of his life and rebuild the rest. The music is generally on the ambient side of noise, with few tracks straying into harsher territory, making this a rather listenable compilation even for newcomers to the genre. In fact, with 28 tracks occupying about three hours' time, this one's a perfect introduction to some stellar noise artists. It's currently going for ten bucks but will soon be raised to fifteen for optimal benefit for Mr. Petrus, so hop on it now. Still, if you can afford to pay more than the minimum, I urge you to do so. The bandcamp player has been refusing to work on my page, for which I apologize. Click any of the links above to visit this compilation and hear the tunes.

Into Armageddon's Maw: An Interview & Exclusive Streaming Song from Fury 161

If you keep up with my blog as regularly as I do, you probably recall the streaming single "Purify" by Fury 161 which I shared a few months ago. As pre-orders for their impending full-length album, "Armageddons Maw," have gone live, I feel it's a good time to share a BM&B exclusive interview and streaming song. For those not yet familiar with this project, "Armageddons Maw" is a death industrial album that (depending on your standpoint) either takes the genre's typical sounds and pushes them outward in every direction, or it stands defiantly against the genre just as much as it embraces it. With synthesized melodies washing up against scathing electronic walls and frenzied vocals raging against the very things that society holds dear, this album is one hell of a ride. Whether you're interested in power electronics and death industrial, or if you're just a regular reader checking out a new feature, it's hard for me to recommend this album highly enough. I've had access to the files for a couple months now and I'm simply chomping at the bit waiting for the official release. Without wasting more of your time on my rambling, here is a brief transcript of my chat with the two madmen of Fury 161, followed by an exclusive stream of their track "Spirits" for your enjoyment.

BM&B: Okay, welcome and thanks for your time. State your names and duties, if you will.

Corvus Rex: Corvus Rex. Vocals, Treatments, Guitars, Keys, Mixing and mastering.

Xerxees Bane: Xerxees Bane. Sounds, samples, beats, art.

BM&B: Okay gentlemen, since this is a review for a website specializing in music and beer, do you drink? If so, any preferred or recommended beverages?

CR: I drink very little, and sadly no beer. I drink liquor. I would recommend South African cider though. I always have some when I go home.

XB: I am not adverse to the odd drink now and again.My choice of poison is lager. No real lager I'd particularly recommend as there are many to choose from and their effects can be similarly varies. However, I was fond of peach schnapps many moons ago.

BM&B: That does the job just fine. So, how did the two of you first meet and decide to form a musical union in the form of Fury 161?

CR: Xerxees, you answer this one.

XB: Okay, here it goes. The modern miracle of the internet played its part in the formation of Fury 161. Corvus initially posted a Project:Void track on the webpage of a favourite artist (Theologian). I liked what Corvus had posted, and we initially became friends because of that. I was also doing music prior to Fury, under the name Pigrat. Pigrat was influenced by gabba, breakcore, and tribal beats. I sent some of those tracks to Corvus and he saw potential in them...

BM&B: And the rest is history?

XB: Sorta...I've taken some of the elements from Pigrat and mutated the ideas in Fury.

CR: I asked Xerxees to send me a breakdown of one of his tracks, which he did, and I treated, remixed, and remastered it.

XB: Yes, and it sounded suitably rusty, gnarled, crushing...

CR: That was the track that became the instrumental "Black Heart Attack." From there, we discussed joining up as a unit.

BM&B: That song is actually one of my favorites on the album. It stands out as a unique, yet appropriate centerpiece.

CR: It fuses many elements. It also brings a bit of light to the darkness

XB: Yeah, you could go the route of just crushing sounds. However, as Corvus said, a little bit of light makes the darkness that little bit darker.

BM&B: So as an official unit, is there a set songwriting process for Fury 161, or does each song come about in a different way?

CR: There are various ways they come about. Xerxees is always working on music, as am I. When the moment is right, we will then swap these sounds with each other and they will either be accepted by both of us or rejected.

XB: For my part, I don't have any real approach to writing the songs. I have found that if I have a pre-set idea, it never pans out as how I imagined it in my head. I will sift through sounds to find ones that I may find interesting and then will see what comes of them. Some songs are written in a few weeks, and some are years old. One, in fact, dates back to around 2007.

CR: If you think of it, a good song should be timeless.

XB: Agreed, and you know you've done a good song when you can listen to it for your own pleasure and you find nothing about it that you'd change.

BM&B: That makes perfect sense. Knowing that you are both musicians with musical endeavors prior to this, what music has inspired each of you as a whole? What specific music inspired this project?

CR: Each of my bands draws from different influences. Project:Void's harsh power electronics draw influences from sources such as Whitehouse, Sutcliffe Jugend, and Wolf Eyes. Black Crow King is an exploration of how deep doom can go, and draws inspiration from doom, goth, and power electronics. I'm also in a death industrial band called N.D.E.

XB: Personal influences? Napalm Death, Godflesh, Slab, Converter, Test Dept, Adam and the Ants, E-Noid, Rotator...

CR: I think with Fury we never really set out to create a particular sound, it just kinda developed.

XB: Yeah, evolution in progress.

CR: We never said "let's create a death industrial band." We just said "let's join up and see what happens," and brought our combined influences to it. The vocal approach I use has more akin with extreme metal or power electronics. I hope that somewhat explains it.

BM&B: Of course. With your rather unique sets of inspiration and approach in mind, do you feel there are any current artists with whom you share a common bond or a sort of musical kinship?

CR: There are a few bands that share some of the same elements with us, such as Deadwood or Steel Hook Prostheses or other death industrial bands, but we have not really made a bond. I think it is safe to say if the listener is into death industrial, power electronics, or extreme electronic music of any form, then they will hear something they like in Fury.

XB: Ramblack is good too. Hopefully we stand out because we use sounds that the listener may not "expect."

CR: In fact, you may have seen a recent update on our facebook page. We're planning a split with Steel Hook Prostheses.

BM&B: I did see it. I'm quite excited for more details. Musical inspiration aside, what other sources of inspiration do each of you draw upon when creating your music as Fury 161? Whether it's art, nature, politics, etc. Would you like to share what gets your creative juices flowing?

CR: This is very personal for me. Nature, or rather what we are doing to nature, is a huge problem for me, as are politics, mental issues, and my loathing for humanity at large. My music, lyrics, and vocals are a purge for me.

XB: For me, the techniques of John Heartfield play a big inspiration, ie. photomontage, and taking things from their original context and mutating them to our own ends. Film plays a part...a certain Alien film especially.

CR: Ha ha, can't forget Alien.

XB: Nope, and it's a David Fincher film.

BM&B: So two very different sets of inspiration come together. I like that. Corvus, would you say that as the lyricist, you consider Fury 161 to be a project that is driven by its message, or simply a project that has a lot to say, with music first and message secondary?

CR: I would say it is a project that is driven by the music and has a lot to say as well. Xerxees is just as important as I am. On occasion he also comes up with lyrics. For example, the song "Purify" that was released as a free download had lyrics written by both of us.

XB: I find that when I occasionally attempt lyrics they are not quite my forte, so I leave it to he who does it well.

BM&B: So do you feel that even the moments without lyrics and vocals have their meaning for the dedicated listener?

CR: The opening track "Thanatos" is an instrumental, but it helps set the tone for what is to come.

BM&B: Similar to "Black Heart Attack" then, although each song stands on its own as well, not really needing the greater context.

CR: It flows as an album, but each song has its own story to tell or mood to create.

BM&B: I was actually going to ask about the flow of the album. For an album that works so smoothly, there's a lot of musical territory covered on "Armageddons Maw." How did you manage to compile such contrasting sounds without killing the album's continuity?

XB: Thanks, this is the first album I've ever worked on. It has cohesion, rather than being a set of disjointed pieces. When it comes to writing songs, I sometimes get contrasting sounds that jump into my head, taking a song elsewhere--which I like. For me, it has to be something I'd wanna hear. Dark, but not derivative. Light, but not in a happy, skippy way. The light enlightens the dark! Yin yang. Or Abraxas, if ye prefer.

CR: I think when we decided on songs, they were ones that we knew would work together. The next job was to decide the order. For this, I came up with a list of an order, then Xerxees and I decided on it together and laid the track listing for the album down.

BM&B: That was probably a lot harder than you're making it sound.

CR: No, not really. We have a strange connection when it comes to Fury 161. Nothing seems to be much of a struggly, everything flows. There are no egos in the band, which is a great help.

BM&B: You two do seem to get along quite well. I'm sure that makes things run smoothly.

CR: That it does.

XB: It does, and one day we'll actually meet!

CR: I hate egomaniacs. They are a menace to the world.

BM&B: Fair enough. How has it been working with Canadian label Bugs Crawling Out of People? They seem to have their ducks in a row, so to speak.

CR: It has been pretty easy to work with them. He is interested in the band and what we are doing. He's committed to putting out a quality product and everything is run past us first.

XB: I can't fault them at all. I was aware of them a year or so ago via the releases they had of compUterus and I think...was a release of Pneumatic Detach.

CR: For example, before going to print he sent us a printed mock-up of the digipak to see if we were happy with it.

XB: It was a great feeling to receive a mock-up that has artwork that I spent ages drawing by hand on an actual release.

BM&B: I'm glad to hear you've found a label that treats you with the respect you deserve. Revisiting your comment about actually meeting up, do you think you'll ever try to practice for Fury 161 to become a live act or would you rather keep your music in the studio?

CR: Fury 161 will never be a live act. I have too many issues with people.

XB: I think playing live, even if it was Corvus and myself, just to ourselves, couldbe interesting if not a little tricky. I'm unsure how to go about creating it live.

CR: It would be a bit of a problem creating it live.

BM&B: That makes sense. I think it holds up well enough as a studio project regardless. I have a question about the artwork related to Fury 161. Perhaps this is for Xerxees, although you are both free to answer. I noticed a lot of mirroring in the art for both "Purify" and "Armageddons Maw," as well as your shirt design. Is symmetry symbolic in a way or was this merely an aesthetic decision?

XB: I'm not sure that symmetry does play a conscious part in the art. Again, I will just try out different ideas and see what works or doesn't. However, there is meaning to the artwork. The double headed bird at the bottom of the lower point of the chaos star is meant, or could be suggested as being both Corvus and myself, in that we are musically not looking in exactly the same direction, but the two heads come together in the same body. Fury 161 is the body.

At the teeth, I thought that not only do people get angry, but animals also. Francis Bacon amde me aware of this with some of his screaming mouth paintings.

BM&B: Interesting, I had been wondering if the teeth were something of a nod to Swans.

CR: I love Swans

XB: Yes, I find there is something quite powerful about that image. First time I heard Swans, I couldn't get my head around them at all. It was a million miles away from what I was used to.

CR: Haha, all hail Swans. Brilliant live as well.

BM&B: I understand that. Many of their recordings are older than I am and are still heavier than anything new bands are doing. That's about it for the questions. Thank you guys so much for your time.

Fury 161- "Purify" mp3 single. Free Download.

Greetings readers. I feel it's safe to assume that most of you aren't familiar with Fury 161, the aggressive death industrial act featuring Corvus of BM&B favorite Project: Void. Fury 161 has chosen today to debut their single, "Purify," a track of crawling industrialized mayhem. Static percussion and depraved vocals clash with glitchy madness surrounding. Not a single instrument is working to create solace in this track, instead the whole thing sounds like a great dying machine trying to envelop as much of its surroundings as possible before it shuts down for the last time. This group has just signed up for an official Facebook page and have announced an upcoming full-length album entitled "Armageddon's Maw" which will be released by Bugs Crawling Out of People. While the world at large may be frightened by such chaos, we devoted few can enjoy this free download while we await the release of Fury 161's debut album.

Xothist- s/t LP (Fallen Empire Records)

Xothist's debut album has been out for a while now, but up until just recently it had only been available on a highly limited cassette from the now defunct Bleak Environment. Thanks to Fallen Empire Records, this album has now seen release on vinyl with a recent remaster and is finally getting the more widespread attention it deserves. As Xothist's sole member is a former member of the indescribable Tollund Men, it's no surprise that the suffocating brand of ambient black metal presented here is unique and highly unorthodox. This album has been a quick seller, so check out my review and then grab a copy quickly, before they vanish entirely.

Each side of this record contains a single track just under twenty-one minutes long, allowing Xothist to slowly craft a dense and precise atmosphere rather than rushing any musical ideas. The heavy electronic elements presented here add a rather uneasy feeling to the music, and the first number of minutes of either side of the record captures the feeling of being hunted down. I'm not sure if Xothist is the predator or if he's conveying his experience as the prey, but it's unsettling regardless. When the electronic tension finally breaks into a cathartic explosion of distorted guitars and vocals, it still feels like there is a smothering element to the music. Everything seems to be either hidden behind a veil of some sort, or perhaps it's even just pushing down heavily on the listener. The feeling of a struggle is apparent in every moment of this recording, whether nearly silent or bursting with energy. The music often pours over at a mid-paced gallop, with electronic chaos exploding in the distance from time to time. While the production allows me to hear most of what's happening, there is an intentional blurring of instruments that creates a more textured and oppressive feeling than many similarly paced black metal albums would attain. When the speed picks up, it still feels pained on an almost cosmic level rather than "evil" as many faster black metal releases seem to strive for. Indeed, Xothist emanates suffering, mechanical disconnection, and universal emptiness far more than evil, hatred, or aggression. While I am not privy to the lyrical content, I'd be quite interested to know what's going on here, as the music is far more compelling and intelligent than the average black metal release.

Copies of this album with patches (pictured immediately above) are in short supply, although regular copies still remain for the time being. If you don't want to be left behind, I recommend making a purchase immediately. It's only $16 and well worth it. As always, Fallen Empire has made this album available as a "pay what you like" download from their bandcamp if you aren't entirely ready for this on vinyl, although I have no idea why you wouldn't want this album in your grubby little hands.

New transmissions from Male Activity

Some of my more regular readers (or perhaps just my noise enthusiasts out there) will remember the surprisingly positive words I wrote about Male Activity's first three releases earlier this year. As the year's progressed, I feel it's about time to check in with the label and showcase some of their current output. Some of these albums are from familiar faces, and others are newcomers who are ready to challenge the ears of the masses. Enough with my rambling, let's get to the music.

Starting off this batch of newer releases is MA:005, "Flux Emission," the first CDr release from label mainstay wet nurse. Somewhat of a departure from the brand of noise crafted on prior releases, there seem to be guitars (or a synthesized version of them) in this release and the songs here follow somewhat structured patterns. Influences from post-punk and harsher forms of noise creep in and out without wholly altering the sound so much as they leave their small mark. This does not, however, deter from the intensity of the atmosphere here nor does it remove this from the overall genre of death industrial. Instead, this album switches between melancholy industrial dirges and static landscapes of pure loneliness and frustration. As this album is a reflection on anxiety as well as the human condition, I find it appropriate that in many ways this feels like the release with the most clarity and human input in wet nurse's catalog to date. This one's limited to thirty copies, so hop on it quickly. It's already halfway sold out.

MA:006 sees B.P.'s debut as a solo entity, "Maybe there's a tranquil eden behind the murk." Fans of the label might notice that B.P. is the mastermind behind Gashkadin and is also involved in the ethereal gloom of Bedroom Suite. In a way that hybridizes his two other approaches to sound, this release creaks in with low frequencies that ooze depression, and it takes hold with a sadness that exists outside of verbal understanding. Faded photographs of unloved household objects fill the booklet that accompanies this album, paired with lyrics to songs with titles like "chest sores," "dirty mattress," and "flesh chamber." To call this album a downer would be an understatement, but to simply view this as gloomy rumbling noise would be unfair. The static around the edges sometimes creeps in to turn sadness to terror, as carefully led onward by this masterful noise artist. As I listen, I feel a great loneliness, but it's enjoyable to the same effect as a truly frightening horror film; it's a masochistic joy. This tape is limited to a generous fifty copies, but that doesn't mean it's going to stick around forever. Grab this while you can.

MA:007 is the self-titled debut of doomy noisemakers Mukherjee. While the name's more than a mouthful, the music is some of the most ominous stuff I've heard in a while. Rather than crafting swirling static or electronic noise, this is thunderous droning of the earth's shifting as viewed through timelapse photography. While some electronic loops seem to be make their way into the fold at times, much of these sounds feel like they were created live in some sort of filthy basement. Harsh noise obsessives need not worry though, as the final track creates enough distorted sound manipulation horror to satisfy even fans of the most depraved sounds. I'd be lying if I said I'm not confused by some of this, but it's an intriguing sort of confusion akin to morbid curiosity, not the sort of confusion that makes me want to put it away. Forty copies of this cassette are available but I expect it to sell relatively quickly once people catch wind of this group.

So, loyal readers, you know what to do. Grab a few tapes from this label, help 'em continue doing what they're clearly so good at doing. MA:008 is already out as well, but I have yet to listen. It's a Wet Nurse cassette limited to 20 copies for a mere $2.50, so jump on that one if you're already paying a visit

Youth Code - "Demonstrational Cassette"

I feel if I were to say that I was hooked on this band from the first minute of the first track it would come off trite, yet here I am, going to tell it to you regardless: I was hooked within the first minute of the first track. Granted, there is the rest of the demo to attend to but Los Angeles's Youth Code manage to set the bar rather high from the onset, maintaining this energy throughout the remaining three tracks. I'd be remiss if I failed to mention the nostalgic quality I perceive in their music and I think others in their late 20s might understand why as Youth Code's music is undoubtedly industrial, with a martial yet danceable quality that, for me, harkens back to acts like KMFDM and Psyclon Nine. Hello, high-school Julio. Consisting of Ryan William George and Sara Taylor, Youth Code's beats are infectious and abrasive and perfectly complemented by harsh, altered vocals; the sum of all this resulting in a declaration of goddamnit, I just want to dance! The aggression in their music further amplifies the catchiness of the production.

Unfortunately the tape in review is sold out however they do have a new 7" available that is down to the last 30 copies on last I checked. I really look forward to what Youth Code put out next and would love to see them live so I can strut out into the club wearing sunglasses and all-black everything. See you on the dance-floor.

Review contributed by Julio Espin

World of Metal and Rust- "Industrial Noir" CDr (Self-Released/Depressive Illusions)

Some of my more frequent readers may remember my review of the now-defunct black industrial artist Mara. For those who enjoyed Mara's last breath, World of Metal and Rust is born from Mara's ashes. Cold factories and grey industrial skylines have always scattered the landscapes in this man's music, but here the electronic elements and darker atmospheres which I had touched upon in my previous review are now a dominant force. Gone are elements of depressive black metal, and in their place is a slow, monotonous mechanical emptiness that creates an even bleaker environment.

The sounds created here vary from hypnotic to absolutely terrifying. Mechanized percussion fuses with fuzzy and cold synths to generate pure atmosphere. I feel like this would serve as one of many soundtracks to the end of the world. The sky is mostly black and red swirling into each other, with some substance that might be either ash or snow falling from above. The streets are littered with vehicles, papers, and peoples' belongings that they left behind along the way. Few survivors remain in this wasteland. This is in many ways exactly what the name of this project evokes, and the sound is well suited. Many songs here seem to contain two or more separate compositions that complement each other rather than one solid song per track, but I feel it works nicely. The album flows quite well from song to song and the atmosphere is consistently heavy. The ominous nature of the music might make extended listens difficult for some folks, but I feel that listening all the way through creates a perfect sense of dread and despair that chills me to the bone in the best way possible. I must reiterate that nothing here really makes it into "metal" territory, but everything here echoes cold detachment. This is perfect misery and self-hate.

Copies of this release come in a DVD case with full artwork and a labeled disc. You can purchase it digitally from the band or it you can purchase a physical copy for 6 EUR from Depressive Illusions, who also released the Minblod album I recently reviewed.  Only 33 CDs are available, so grab it quickly. Keep up with the band through its blog and be up to date on any future releases or plans. There's already a new demo posted, so it's worth checking out.

An Interview with Neal of Tollund Men

For the unfamiliar, Tollund Men is an entity that is hard to describe. Terms like minimal synth, post-punk,and darkwave get thrown around, but they really do no justice to the sounds that Tollund Men create. Mixing the fuzzed out bliss more commonly associated with black metal with the synth density and catchy hooks of new wave's darker acts, Tollund Men is a unique and fascinating project that appeals to pretty much everything I love in music. I recently had the opportunity to ask primary creative member Neal a few questions about Tollund Men's fantastic new cassette, his plans for the year to come, and the real story behind the band's name.

BMAB: Does the name of the band come from a personal anthropological interest in the Tollund Man? What was the catalyst for creating Tollund Men?
Neal: The Tollund Men moniker has caused some confusion. Because the project exists on the periphery of certain punk and metal scenes, I've had people assume that I got the name from the "Bog Bodies" series of cassettes primitive USBM duo Bone Awl released during the early-to-mid oughts. While I really love Bone Awl, getting to see them at a dive bar here in Denver around 2009, playing to an almost non-existent crowd and a smattering of irritated regular patrons, the truth is probably far less interesting. I was pursuing an English degree at the time. I was in a pretty standard (if not boring) British Literature course, when I discovered the Irish poet Seamus Heaney, who, not surprisingly, wrote a poem called "The Tollund Man." Heaney's message is socio-political in the end, but there are several themes that really speak to me--the depressing aspects to freedom, ritual meeting life and causing conflict, concepts of transgression and punishment, the past and present meeting in abstract ways. As for the "Men" instead of "Man," I just thought it was funny because I was the only one in the band. But mostly, it's just a name I picked for some shit I had been working on. 

What have been your primary influences as a musician and artist? Are these influences displayed in the upcoming album of covers and the previous covers you’ve already done, or do you try to pick things that would fall slightly outside of your typical style?
Influence is a very tenuous thing in music, especially now. I don't want to be viewed as a band that sounds like it's from the 80s, it just happens that a lot of the music that I like was made in the 80s! But that's one of the reasons I wanted to do this covers album. I wanted people to have a reference point and be able to see how Tollund Men is something new. I wanted to cover bands that listeners could make connections they normally wouldn't, who were maybe viewing it as some kind of darkwave/minimal band or whatever. Maybe it was set into peoples' minds with that first cover of "Goodbye Horses." Either way, I hope that people will hear our cover of a This Kind of Punishment song, or Halo of Flies, or Cybotron, or whatever, and be able to hear how the influences come out in different ways, that it's not just trying to sound like this band or that or this genre or that. I want to create something unique and forward thinking.

Your newest cassette is entitled Virbius Abstract. Is there a particular significance to this name? With the new release and your album of covers coming out soon, do you have tour plans in mind?
Virbius is a Roman forest god. His story is somewhat mixed with the Greek god Hippolytus, but the gist of it is: Virbius rejects the sexual advances of his stepmother, Phaedra. This makes her furious, so she tells his father, Theseus, that he raped her. Theseus spurns him by sending a wild bull to scare the horses of his chariot, dragging Virbius to his death. Each of the songs on the tape are loosely tied into this theme, making it an "Abstract." 
We are planning another small tour to the west coast this summer, probably only a week or two. We're just too fucking poor and nobody really gives a shit. 

What current artists have impressed you the most with their creative output lately?
There is kind of a running joke about how much Kevin and I like Crazy Spirit. But yeah, they're pretty cool. We've never even seen them. When we went on tour last summer, we taped a piece of paper to the front of the keyboard that said "Crazy Spirit Rules." Maybe it was with a "z." Anyway, it was sort of an inside joke. There's this video of the really amazing band Factrix, and on their keyboard is a sticker that says "Flipper Rules." We were thinking we should pay homage to a band like that. It's pretty absurd that we'd be the Factrix and Crazy Spirit would be Flipper in that scenario; it's funny. But we're both into a bunch of stuff. Right now, newer stuff I'm into is like Cut Hands, Circle of Ouroborus, Dominic Fernow stuff, Stare Case, I don't know, just all the cool shit. 

If you had your way, what would the coming year look like for Tollund Men? More albums? Tours? Peace and quiet from nosy writers like myself?

I'm trying to release about eight more things in the coming year or two and compile the singles onto one LP, and hopefully another full length shortly thereafter. We'll see. If anyone wants to hook us up with tour money we'd take it. Thanks to everyone who has supported this project. 

Project:Void- "The Anthropogenic Process" CD-r (badGod Music)

February 19th will mark the release of Project:Void's badGod Music debut, "The Anthropogenic Process." This album's been in my periphery for a hot minute, as it was initially released on cassette on Crucial Blast and I'd looked up the album once or twice for my own consideration. Sitting down to listen to this entire piece of filth and perusing a sample track are two very different experiences. For purposes of sheer intensity and chaos, this is one of the loudest, most overwhelming and busy albums I've heard in a while. This isn't the harshest noise, and it's not the densest, but the atmosphere here is nothing but terror.

My initial reaction to this album was akin to my earliest experiences with groups like Stalaggh. It's so foreign and dissonant that it barely resembles music, yet it inspires my curiosity. The musical structure is nebulous and unconventional, even for noise. This violent black industrial nightmare is one of the most relentless pieces of music I've heard in quite some time. Save for a moment of "soft" keys opening up "Praey," there's not a single safe place to burrow in and weather this storm. While the image itself is quite dated, this makes me think of the futuristic killing fields from the old Terminator films. The occasional programmed percussion and sounds of synthesizers or heavy machinery integrate nicely into oscillating noises and screams of madness. Mechanical horror and destruction roll right over anything that could have felt human or familiar in this recording, which seems to be exactly what Project:Void has in mind. While albums without hope or peace are quite commonplace on this blog, this one still manages to stand out. Every single burst of noise could be described as a barrage. The true strength of this album is that there is no middle ground. I think it's safe to say that it's impossible to remain ambivalent to this album. Many noise artists create enough safe territory for people to "tolerate" or "kinda get it." This album is the sonic equivalent of a battlefield. You either survive this album, or you don't. While such a divisive approach may not be viewed as wise in most genres of music, anyone who can handle this monstrosity with sanity intact will likely be a dedicated listener for future releases.

This album will be limited to 100 copies on CD-r, with a very special limited package of 25 CD-r/shirt bundles. If you're interested in obtaining this album digitally, be warned that you'll be missing out on the last three tracks of the album, so taking the extra moment to purchase the album in full is quite the wise choice.  Fans of power electronics and harsh industrial noise, brace yourselves; this release is sure to leave a dark mark in the recesses of your mind.