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Boris with Merzbow, "Walrus/Groon"
Rated purely on looks, this is one of the best releases by Boris and/or Merzbow that I have borne witness to. Rated on music, I cannot say that I am impressed. A pedestrian Beatles cover and an uninspired piece of noise make for an easily forgettable experience. It is far from the best work of either Boris or Merzbow and even out of their collaborations together this will not be remembered for much bar its fantastic sleeve.
Considering the gorgeous gatefold sleeve that is heavily inspired by the album art of Yes and the ominous King Crimson-esque intro to “Walrus,” it was disappointing that Boris’ take on The Beatles was not a progged out supernova. Even with Merzbow on board to add odd sounds like seagulls and his usual electronic flatulence, this version of “I am the Walrus” kept very close to the original. It ends up sounding like the band were just passing the time at rehearsal rather than reworking a classic. On the opposite side, “Groon” is equally disappointing. Atsuo’s drumming could form the foundations of a traditional Boris epic but Merzbow and the rest of the band do not build on Atsuo’s beats, instead they add a layer of noise that sounds like it was added as an afterthought. At the end of the day, there are so discs released regularly by both Merzbow and Boris that many of them are bound to be filler and Walrus/Groon is one such record.
