Make no mistake, there is nothing romantic about this album. I am still in the process of truly digesting all that is going on. What genre is it? At times I feel like I am listening to a particularly grimy grindcore act, others I am thinking about black and death metal in the vein of Malthusian or Portal. Then they hit you with the occasional breather of straight ambient, even when the music is at its most vile. But it is absolutely this unlikely mash-up of styles that keeps me coming back for further beatings.
This is another one of those albums that defies traditional description. There are blasts of discordant guitars, changing time signatures, and sickeningly grim vocals that occasionally reminded me of Absu. The wretch is so restricted in the throat as to sound inhuman. The churning, slower arrangements channel everything from Abyssal to Lord Mantis. It's all morbidly fascinating and thoroughly engaging despite being one of the more a-melodic things I have heard this year. To use an old adage, it's like a car wreck that you can't look away from.
While repeat spins have led me to love this album start to finish, I was initially underwhelmed by the first two tracks. But patience will be rewarded. If you have a similar reaction, I encourage you to stick around, as things don't truly pick up until my personal favorite, "Horizontal Key Vertical Gate." What a song. It has some of the most chilling vocals and crushing guitars I have heard in some time. "Ewaste" is another standout track that I cannot get enough of.
I'd say more, but I just don't know how. This is definitely a standout album I will be covering again at the end of the year. Check out the whole thing on bandcamp. It's only $5 for digital.