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 Bastard Noise - Our Earth's Blood IV [Cathartic Process - 2009]Our Earth's Blood IV takes the listener on one hell of a sonic journey that seesaws between violence and blacked atmospherics touching down in: Power electronics, noise, brooding ambience, dark electronica, grim cinematic, doom metallic’s and all manner of compelling experimental matter-spreading it’s impressive and varied sonic wares over a whooping 5 disks. Really I can’t think of another noise based artists other than Merzbow who has attempted an album of this size & scope (that’s not a collection of some form) and managed to create such a rewarding, varied and highly consistent ride. Though the albums sound and attack varies through-out it all has a very apocalyptic mankind hating raging air that is maintained through out the album, with most of the tracks featuring the superbly pained vocals of the projects main mind Eric Wood- his vocals going from sand paper raging roar like Alan Dubin after an bad night, to death and blacked metal meets power electronics growl, Down to edgy and brooding yelps ‘n’ barks. And though Wood is the mastermind behind the whole of the five part album he also invites in an impressive array of noise and experimental based artists as collaborators- we have: Merzbow, Government Alpha, Clew of Theseus, Bizarre Uproar, Jay Randall(of Agoraphobic Nosebleed), Oblong Box, Defektro and many others. But the most impressive thing about the collaborators is that the don’t change or distil Bastard Noise's sound and sonic vision; they add and strengthen the distinctive sound that is equal parts rage and brooding atmosphere. I know it’s an over used reviewing clich, but really and truly there are very few if any low points through-out the whole of the 5 disk cycle-meaning it makes it hellishly difficult to pick and choose favourite tracks as mine seem to change each time I dip into a disk. But a few of my present favourites and a good hint at what you can expect along the way would be: Disk ones T.O.T.F.K.A.C which mixes brooding ambient drone circles, with caustics hits of siren waves and feed back like cattle prods with the occasional bellowed and pained vocal eruption from Woods. The buzzing noise meets doom metallic’s with a hint of nu- metal creatively of Disk two’s Pathogen, and also on disk two the 50’s space craft hover meets building grim electronic cinematics of Rushing Into Deceit. The noise static atmospherics meets radar blip tone and building noise roar of disk three's Satellite War. The space invader meets growing storm roar and angered rant of Skeletal Human Bacon Hangers ( what a great title!)that dips here and there into dense brooding ambience meets bell toll and grim slowed ‘n’ slurred junk yard gamelan hover. Disk fives last track G.R.N. which pushers the listener through a grim and volatile violent sea of dense throbbing funeral synth brood, agitated space feed back, looped and stuck sped up tones. Our Earth's Blood IV is huge, varied and highly rewarding and replayble release that will appeal to noise heads, brooding ambience lovers, Post-Black metal fans and really anyone who cherishers and enjoys music that switches between violence and atmosphere. With out doubt one of this years highlights- to hear samples of the albums creative and varied wares drop in here.   Roger Batty
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|  | | Bastard Noise - Our Earth's Blood IV | Our Earth's Blood IV takes the listener on one hell of a sonic journey that seesaws between violence and blacked atmospherics touching down in: Power electro...
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| | | Crude ‘n’ Hope-corroding Wall... | Back in 2024, I got my first taste of Absurd Reality, and I was so impressed by how crude and nasty its take on walled noise was. Behind the project is South...
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