'Subtract Nerve'
The duo of Ed Oxime and
William Riever have, as Concrete Lung, come together to create one of
the most interesting industrial / metal crossover acts for quite a
while. Blending crushing, sludgey doom metal and abrasive industrial,
the band channels acts like Swans, Godflesh and Ministry into a slow
and methodical sensory assault executed with the intensity of Napalm
Death and Nailbomb.
On their fourth
release, 'Subtract Nerve', they certainly pull no punches. Each track
has an ultra-heavy presence that is full of deep and distorted
electronics that compliment the dirty guitar and half-shouted,
half-growled vocals. It builds nicely on the nihilistic and
apocalyptic visions of their full-length album 'Versions Of Hell'.
The opening track
'User' is a textbook case of being thrown in at the deep end. The
song slowly emerging from a static haze into a bludgeoning eight
minute ordeal that grips the listener and won't let go. The following
tracks, 'Self – Shriek (Intensity)', 'Rot And Seethe' and 'Waste'
each maintain the heaviness of the opener, but the emphasis on a
chugging pace and chant-a-long vocals make them a little more
accessible and catchy... in an Ebola virus kind of way.
The re-recorded version
of 'Flux' shows just how far the band are developing in terms of
quality as well. The original simply doesn't stand up to this with
its fuller sound and more forceful vocal style. Even the hidden track
is an enjoyable exercise in nightmarish dissonance.
Even the production is
very strong here. With an act like this the temptation would be to go
low-fi for a lot of people, which more often than not just sounds
sloppy. Concrete Lung on the other-hand have created something that,
although packed with distortion and harshness, is very well mixed so
that all these elements don't simply become a homogeneous noise.
'Subtract Nerve' is a
very impressive release from an act that hits you hard on every
level. They have taken a big step forward from their full-length
album 'Versions Of Hell' and are reaching their full potential. It's
going to be very interesting to see what the next LP brings.
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