Horrible Mess is a Canadian based HNW/Harsh noise project, it's been active since 2011 & put out around twenty or so releases- these take in split tapes, compilation appearances, and a few stand alone tape releases.  I was very much taken by this projects 2013 release The Well(on Breaching Static), so much so that I made it my top album for the year in 2013- so  in my mind Concrete and Clay had a lot to live up to.

I’ll have to admit my initial plays through this release did leave me a little underwhelmed & disappointed, sure it was clear that Horrible Mess was once again using his ability for great descriptive, creative & atmospheric noise textures- but on an emotional/ gut level I felt it somewhat lacking compared with a release like The Well. So, like with any release that I respected, but doesn’t initially grab me, I gave it time and then distant- i.e. I played it through a few more times, then waited a few months before coming back to it.

After coming back to it again I certainly appreciated  & got more of  what Horrible Mess was trying to do here- you see the album is built around five untitled tracks all, it opens & closes with two shorter (just over two minute) tracks, the three tracks in-between last for the longer running length of eleven to thirteen mintues a piece. The opening track works as a more simplistic textural gateway into the rest of the tracks, while the last track sort of smothers you in this dank, earthy & murky textural  psychedelics. Each of the longer central three tracks really tell their own individual   subtle shifting textural story, that is often quite layered & detailed in it’s feel.  The whole thing is certainly very cleverly conceived, constructed & put together, and clearly a lot of time/effort has been put into this work, but I’m still a little unsure about the whole thing, & I’ve still not completely connected  & engaged to the release

Maybe it’s a matter of more time & distant ( hell there are some albums that have taken years for me to fully get), or maybe it’s simply that this isn’t as fulfilling or rewarding as The Well- at this stage I’m still very much undecided, but don’t let my doubt put you off!- if you enjoy creative & descriptive  textured noise that flits between HNW & ANW this really is something you must check out so you can make your own mind up.