Customer Reviews

Koksofen

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If you have any appreciation whatsoever for guitarists who do not play their guitar, but rather play their amp -- using the guitar as a means to evoke different sounds from their amp -- then you will like this record. Mr.B. is a master of feedback and wall of sound. He is also a skilled player, but the real value added here is the way in which he uses the amplifier as an instrument. The music is generally slow and dark, emphasized by the chanted/spoken word guttaral style German vocals, but its really all about the guitar playing: Hendrix ala Star Spangled Banner or EXP, Sonic Youth, etc., but against a backdrop of a bassline and primal drumming.

First off, this is NOT industrial. In any way. While it is gothic, and primal, and even sounds a little free-jazz (though it is tightly constructed, from what i understand), this is organic music produced by drums, bass, and guitar.

The feeling of this whole album is undeniably dark, and somewhat psychadelic- Sometimes it almost feels like an excorcism and is certainly cathartic in nature. A few of the songs are a tad bit cliche in the use of their dynamics (ok, were gonna start out quiet, and i'm sort of gonna whisper and mumble, then we're gonna like rock out and i'm gonna scream), but nonetheless effective as anything i had heard when this came out. This is, i guess, music that sounds scary or disturibing to some people but there's no 'i am a vampyre'/dress-up goth conceit to this in anyway.

this recording is, in my opinion, far and away the best thing caspar broztman had done up to this point, and probably the best thing he will ever do. He was at the height of bizarre guitar-based deconstruction that puts to shame all the 'pyrotechnic' dwiddling of the yngwies and joe satrianis of the world, partly because this is just not music that centers around a stylistic virtuoso. plus he's not the kind of guitarist you're gonna get off on if your interested in arguing the relative merits of myxolidian versus dorian modes.

this is after all, a guy who was throwing bricks around last time i saw him play.

Years ago I saw Casper Brotzmann's Massaker perform at a Jesus Lizard show, and I was utterly stunned at the depth and disparity their music communicates. Sounds of crystalline harmonics, out of tune frame work, primal drum beatings, ground shaking samples, vocal grumblings(in German of course) all dive into the foundation of music and bare the essence of sound. This band is a must listen to those who seek the ends of music. There is so much built into this music, and still it bares the soul of the human condition. To simply categorize this as "industrial" music would have many listeners simply pass it over. This work needs to be heard by anyone who is serious about the progression and capability of music.

If you're into the more experimental Jimi Hendrix or Joe Satriani and you like Ministry & other industrials too, you'll certainly be able to appreciate this music. To others it might sound like an overpowering cacophony of drones, squalls and roars, with menacing German mutterings adding to the feeling of dread and apocalypse. Even some of my heavy metal liking friends were a bit taken aback and said I must have very kind neighbours to tolerate this type of thing. Well, it's not something that I listen to very often, but it's valid, it's art and it's there! The only words I can make out is: "streich mich durch die Haar" = stroke my hair. Caspar takes the guitar to where it's never been before.