Around ten years or so ago, Pharmakon was generating a significant amount of buzz on the recorded and live performance front. Where most artists that fall somewhere within the death industrial, noise, and power electronics space appeal to a very specific and smaller audience, Pharmakon’s first two full lengths (Abandon and Bestial Burden) was able to have wider reach thanks to the support of Sacred Bones Records and founder Margaret Chardiet’s intense stage performances. With an emphasis on harsh and nightmarish soundscapes and exploration of uncomfortable subject matter, Chardiet’s material left an impression on listeners and emphasized slightly different tones and textures from one album to the next. This year’s Maggot Mass brings about some of the most significant changes Pharmakon has seen since its earlier days, as it drops some of the established rules Chardiet had defined for the project and brings a bit more structure to the ebb and flow of the electronics. Despite being a different sounding album from what has come before, Maggot Mass proves to be just as harrowing and abrasive.
“Accessible” feels like the wrong word to use for an album that’s still comprised primarily of ear-piercing noise and pulsating electronics that have an eerier and uncomfortable tone, but compared to some of Pharmakon’s previous records this one did come across as a bit more digestible. Part of that comes down to the way these songs ebb and flow, as there’s more structure to the rhythms and the way the layers build and re-build after being torn down give a clear beginning and end. This is evident on opener “Wither and Warp”, which lives up to its title as the harsher electronics seem to warp in and out of the background while methodical drums keep things moving forward. It reminds me a bit more of Trepaneringsritualen’s deliberate cadence while retaining the sense of mystery and grime that defined earlier Pharmakon. The end of this song is particularly effective, as the jagged bursts of noise that come in every ten seconds or so suddenly amplifies to speaker shaking volume. The other tracks on the album follow a similar flow with “Splendid Isolation” even having an earlier Nine Inch Nails feel with the pulsing of the electronics and more destructive rhythms. “Buyer’s Remorse” is the exception to this rule, as this short burst feels closer to Pharmakon’s previous material as the electronics amp up to their most ear-splitting levels and keep a more freeform flow. SometimesMaggot Mass comes across like its more singularly focused, but it uses that focus to build to some truly tense and entrancing moments that suck you in even as they pummel you. “Oiled Animals” in particular is as creepy and harrowing as anything else in Pharmakon’s discography and is one of those tracks that lingers with you after its finished. Admittedly the way that Maggot Mass emphasizes repeating rhythms does make some moments blur together over repeat listens, but this is still an effective evolution of Chardiet’s prior style.
One other element of Pharmakon’s music that has stood out since the beginning has been Chardiet’s harsher vocals. They tended to be just as abrasive and noisy as the music itself, and this continues to be the case on Maggot Mass though the performance has a bit more nuance than is sometimes typical for power electronics and industrial. On “Wither and Warp” the approach is somewhere between spoken word and singing, but there’s a roughness to the pitch that makes it create additional tension as it hovers over the recording. There’s some repetition to the vocal work on this song that suits the material, but by the end it’s built into a raspier scream that feels like a knife twisting into you with each word. It’s ugly and abrasive, but there’s also something to the way everything comes together that makes you hang on each and every word. The way Chardiet is able to keep things rooted in this sense of extremity but switch up the attack makes a big difference, as it maximizes the impact.
On album five, Pharmakon has broken away from its established formulas and rules in favor of branching out a bit. Chardiet has chosen not to continue naming each album in alphabetical order, and the songwriting has a bit more rhythmic structure and linear flows than before. But this hasn’t changed the sense of ugliness and abrasiveness of the material, and when you combine that with the more hypnotic layers of noise and grimier atmosphere it makes for another compelling listen. There are some moments that do run together due to this emphasis on repetition, but for fans of everything noise and electronic this is worth your time and it’ll be exciting to see where the project chooses to go from here. Maggot Mass is available from Sacred Bones Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg