Bastard Noise, Sissy Spacek, and Sunn O))) member John Wiese concocts an arsenal of blistering eruptions that’s sure to blow both eardrums and speakers alike.
Using material recorded at places mainly in the Midwest and on the East Coast, Wiese has assembled a gurgling catalog of sounds that zoom past like fireballs of static, countered by a subtle yet disruptive low end. Many of the more interesting sounds pass by too quickly for me to appreciate, and are often buried under dense layers of distortion. The album’s most consistent characteristic is that it’s hard on the ears, which is also its downfall. The biggest flaw is that it only has one speed, and I never thought such a wide variety of rushing sounds could become so monotonous.
The songs are basically an interconnected series of explosions, a tactic that soon loses its power to shock and leaves me with a pummeling headache. One of the best things about it, I have to say, is how Wiese plays with the stereo channels in a manner that’s truly unpredictable and enjoyable to follow. As far as his albums go, I prefer something like Ghost Call, which gives me time to absorb its nuances rather than rushing me through the exhibit before I have a chance to fully explore it. I respect the extremities of the sound and the envelope-pushing going on here, but an album’s worth of this convulsive material relegates it in my mind to something to be savored for its shock value rather than its ability to both provoke and compel.
As much as I hate to admit it, I found little magic in this recording.
samples:
- Recorded at Mass Art in Boston, MA, 02/05/05
- Recorded at the Tower in Cleveland, OH, 02/10/05
- Recorded at Radio Cherokee in St. Louis, MO, 02/14/05
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