Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the calm inside the storm, August 19, 2005
Those who complain about Merzbow usually say that he is pretentious and that there is nothing particularly 'deep' about his music. I think there is actually some truth to the second statement. There is nothing to 'get' about Merzbow, you are either thrilled by the thought of being pummelled by walls of unbelieveably thick, textured electric/electronic noise, with minimal attention given to rhythm and melody, or you aren't. Maybe Merzbow isn't music. I really don't care.
This is one of the most satisfying Merzbow releases, and probably the best Merzbow album to start with besides 1930. But where 1930 uses space to some extent, giving the listener at least *some* room to breathe, Pulse Demon is a nonstop, completely unrelenting assault for its entire 70+ minutes, moving through a huge variety of textures and patterns, yet constantly filling up every aural space as it does. Played at the right volume it fills up a room like nothing else, completely enveloping the listener with sheets of sculpted feedback. Merbow has certainly done this on many of his albums, but has never been as successful as on Pulse Demon. Brutal as it is, this album, as nearly all of Merzbow's work, doesn't sounds angry or violent in the way of the extreme metal bands who he loves and has drawn some inspiration from, nor in the way the majority of other noise/power electronics mainstays do.
This album thrills me in a way few others, of all genres, can. You do not relate to it on an emotional level in the way nearly all other music asks you to; I can't explain how you relate to it, or if you do relate to it at all. Pulse Demon is a meditative, psychedelic journey, and, somehow, also possibly the most unrelenting sound assault ever put on a compact disc. If that sounds good to you, this is probably worth your time.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not for the meek-hearted..., August 3, 1998
By A Customer
Most people will never hear a Merzbow piece in their life, and this is for the best. Merzbow is not for everyone; only the heartiest noise and experimental fans will be able to stand more than 30 seconds of the auditory assults recorded on this disc. The songs (though one wonders if the term song applies to compositions that eschew not only the constraints of musical structure, but also of rhythm, harmony, tonality, and discernable notes) contain no instruments, only noise generators, tape loops, and distortion. From this palette, Merzbow, aka Masami Akita, crafts tidal waves of white noise, piercing electronic shrieks, and depths-of-hell sub-bass pulses into compositions ranging from the hyperactive Woodpeckers No. 1 & 2 to the 24-minute droning epic Worms Plastic Earthbound. While the most common initial reaction to Merzbow is to run in terror, those who stay will find a peace within the chaos. After multiple listens, I find that Merzbow is not violent at ! all, but strangely calming. Sound, not music, is the focus here, and without the aforementioned constraints, pure sound becomes as intellectual as any musical piece. The feedback is three-dimensional, evoking visual images and patterns instead of aural ones. I dare say it would be a perfect record to doze off to, had it not been mastered so loud that even at low volume, it cannot be made quiet. For the few who can handle it, Merzbow offers infinite rewards. The question is, are you brave enough to reap them?
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My personal favorite (so far), March 28, 2005
I have a bunch of Merzbow records (maybe someday I'll be rich and famous enough to get my hands on the Merzbox) and this is still my favorite, probably because it is the most "crisp", for want of a better word. Merzbow is about sound, and this album has my favorite kind of sound, in endless, astonishing variety, bottomlessly deep. Subjectively, if you like a different sound, other Merzbow releases, or other artists might be for you; if you're looking for "music", with y'know a beat or notes or whatever, of course, you should probably just avoid this entire genre. Objectively, I think, even if you don't get the "emotional & intellectual" satisfaction that I do, you have to at least acknowledge the astounding breadth of variations Masami Akita finds within a specific sound. As for me, I'm just sorry I didn't buy the silvery edition when I had the chance.
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