Album Review
Blood Rhythms – “Civil War” – [No Part of It]
lexi glass 11/6/2019 12-inch, A Library
Civil War is the latest assault from Blood Rhythms, the noise collective fronted by Chicago-based electronic artist Arvo Zylo, here with Dave Phillips (of Schimpfluch-Gruppe), Wyatt Howland (Skin Graft) and many other collaborators. It’s a devastating – yet even beautiful – record, that might surprise non-noiseniks with its range of sounds and moods, and nearly song-like compositions. “Closure” (T1) opens with strange clarinet melodies, piercing tones, and a massive chorus of voices that finally resolves into a lone anguished scream. If the high-pitched violence of the latest Frataxin release left you begging for more, “Sick Skin” (T2) provides satisfaction, as strangled growls flail helplessly in feedback filth. With its first deep, ominous pulse, “Locked Away” (T3) descends into a forgotten underground lair, and we are overtaken by the howls of those trapped there. Side B holds the centerpiece – the colossal, confrontational “The Face” (T5) – where driving electronic rhythms collide with a cacophony of hellish horns. Yes, it’s a face-melter. The two-part finale (T6 and T7) buries heavy beats, organ bellows, metal scrap, and dying screams in a mass of noise; with one final thud, the suffocation succeeds.
you heard it 14 times on kfjc! most recently:
- 167 days ago, Teachers AIDS played The Face
- 1116 days ago, Lord Gravestench played Sick Skin
- 1117 days ago, Dusty Rhodes played Paris Window
- 1127 days ago, What is AIDS played The Face
- 1134 days ago, Bryan Chandler played Closure
12345 S. El Monte Road Los Altos Hills, California 94022
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Arvo says
Thank you!
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