Plunging into a world of maniacal self deprecation, Chelsea Wolfe
and Jess Gowrie team up for a short collaborative effort. Its sleazy
name, grotesque artwork and grim atmosphere make for a wild ride into
the depraved. Fulled by Punk adrenaline and noisy instruments the duo
put together a mix of Post-Punk, Black Metal and Post-Metal that steps
into the bleak shadows but offers a rather grabbing energy in return as
its darkly tone is driven by some unexpected great song writing.
Firstly,
the combination of Chelsea's haunting voice, hazy like a ghost in the
fog with vitriol screams and howls in the backdrop is memorizing in its
best moments. The two get loose, toying with reverbs among the barrage
of noise. It lets a whole range of approaches light these songs up and
the ambiguity fuels the sometimes simplistic, repetitive lyrics, which
do not feel as such. Its drives home the filthy themes at play that dip
into the ugly and darker corners of the mind.
Secondly,
percussion is king, from the tame, sluggish and brooding sections, up
to the fast, energetic, pulse racing patterns, they drive the music
forward. Rather than pace keeping, the grooves feel essential, a central
part of the composition. Aesthetically they are part of the ugly sprawl
of sound, the cymbals heavily clashing in the mix but it plays into the
projects charm with enough cushion in its key components to really
drive home the deep pushing power they posses.
Behind
it all rugged riff driven guitars and powerful pounding bass lines, the
occasional synth, brew up the textural treats as they barrage, along
with the percussion, walls of dizzying darkness. It puts the record in
this unique position of occupying a dark realm without pulling up the
usual tropes of blast beats and sinister melodies. Its the ripe
chemistry forging an engulfing atmosphere that makes this project work.
At just twenty minutes it goes by all to quick. I hope they do more
together!
Rating: 7/10