Unexamine — Omnicidal Accelerant

I always keep an eye on releases from Phage Tapes as a very dependent label for harsh noise, but I must admit I wasn’t bowled over by Unexamine on my first listen; repeated listens, however, have opened up a very solid album. Unexamine is a US trio, and present here seven pieces of harsh skree. Most of the tracks on this compilation CD are reasonably short, ranging from about four minutes to nine minutes, with a couple of considerably longer works (15 and 21 minutes).

This is not an album of dynamic cut-ups, but there are jolting cuts between sections, changes in direction that sweep the legs of the listener. The overall feel, for me, is that time-honoured Americanoise sound, but with more attention to treble; parts of it reminded me of a less focused, more wayward Slit Throats. So we have thick slabs of fizzing noise but no attempt at harsh noise ‘purity’; instead, the various pieces consist of compressed layers of noise textures, feedback, electronic squeals, junk noise, and even buried vocals. I say ‘compressed’ because there is a sense that everything is buried, blended into each other: this is not an album of polite, or ‘clever’, electroacoustic influenced noise. This isn’t to suggest that Omnicidal Accelerant is dirty, murky noise either - it sits in the middle. Perhaps my main observation is how relentlessly violent and aggressive it is: harsh noise tools used to deliver an assault with power electronics ferocity. In this light, there are vocals on some of the tracks, which are suitably paint-stripping: the first piece, ‘Redressperdiemadinfinitum’ for example, which sounds apocalyptic, as if the Earth was splitting and disintegrating. The second track, ‘Oculolinctus/Struggle Sybaritic’, explodes near the end into fantastic junk noise, whilst ‘Don't Explain Yourself’, the third, 21-minute piece, has some lovely, quick-changing sections, with modulating feedback, and truly blasting noise and junk skree. ‘Piece Now (Return Parade)’ actually starts quite subdued with creeping bass, before exploding into screaming vocals and a scratchy synth loop. The fifth track, ‘Untitled’, begins with a long, near-static, textural passage, thundering along at a quick pace before vocals jump in - disappearing just as quickly. The second of the longer tracks, ‘Live '84/The Bars/Eric 500’, feels slightly more studied, restrained than the other pieces - and actually, despite what I said earlier, is somewhat murky in sound; it works as a fine (slight) rest before the final piece, ‘Self Defense’, which is a stellar lump of no frills, scourging harsh noise; solid as hell.

I’ve been listening to Omnicidal Accelerant again as I’ve written this, and it just gets better and better: consider this a recommended album. A genuinely ferocious harsh noise recording, which does contain lots of colours and tones but it’s too busy blasting to even notice. There’s a nice spatial sense to the tracks, with good use of panning, and passages that suddenly expand out through the speakers, but ultimately this is straight up audio destruction, revisiting and revitalising the roots of harsh noise.