Feldgrau "Mechanized Misanthropy" CD
[Agonia]
Feldgrau is Pete Helmkamp's latest post-Angelcorpse assault on the weak-willed herd, this time joined by Vhex (on programming, keyboards, and vocals) and Destruct (a.k.a. Bill Taylor from Immolation, Angelcorpse, and Acheron - on guitar) to round out the trio (Helmkamp handles bass, vocals, and electronics). One would expect that the band's brand of raw industrial noise combined with elements of rugged metal song structures might sound similar to Helmkamp's prior work with Terror Organ, but aside from occasionally obvious similarities that's not really the case, as the guitar and bass playing herein are actually far more prominent and structured than anticipated. This all leads to mixed results, due in part to the recording of the stringed instrumentation, but the general arrangements of the material as well - where a great deal of menacing promise can at times be overshadowed by fairly low level crudities or some of the slight hitches that arise considering this is the band's debut full-length. For instance, it's not until four minutes into lengthy 7+ minute opener "Stormfront" that things finally start to hit on a cacophonous mass of gritty noise that has some strange melody within that I actually find to be pretty effective over the ambient throb in the distance, and this passage continues to pulse along with some samples as well. But the bulk of the track consists of a pulsing programmed kick drum behind concrete midpaced riffing and Helmkamp's token snarl (at times pitch-shifted down to a churning growl), which is actually pretty damn cool. What I feel hinders those aspects of the record are that the guitar tone, while intentionally raw, sounds like it was recorded direct and has that unnatural bite to it, which can be bothersome. The distorted bass has a similar edge, but its filthy grit actually helps it to get past the sheen of the recording fairly well. Also somewhat of a missing link is that while the riffs (which fuse raw, primal black metal with a little bit of subtle atmosphere and a crusty sort of punk undercurrent) are solidly structured and certainly feel like "songs" when joined with the vocal attack, I definitely feel like drums would really help to add power and fill the space more. Live percussion would probably be ideal, but programmed beats could perhaps also suffice. But on the other hand, increasing the presence of the industrial noise elements could also alleviate some of that, as "Strong Arm Faction" is a bit more consistent in its placement of guitars and vocals deeper in the mix for an abstract sort of approach. And there's definitely a lot of potential in the also abstract "Wolves of Flame and Shadow", with its pounding power chord rhythms and eerie electronic smatterings against manipulated spoken vocals that act more as texture than content; while the grinding electronics and shouted vocal barks of the all too succinct "Iron Law: Iron Will" are awesome! So my vote would actually be for less concrete structure and more of the experimental edge. "Kommand" unloads more pounding rhythms that have a definite influence from the classic feel of primal black metal, but what's most interesting in this one is the way that caustic electronics surge forth behind the guitars and vocals during what might be called the "chorus", as that's a surefire example of how the band could manage to creatively accent metal with industrial noise in their future recordings. The fact that the electronics have more of a role in the core of this composition signals a stronger sense of balance that is indeed well executed. The packaging is all done in black and white and largely consists of the types of bleak images of war you'd expect to correlate to the lyrics, and the quality of the images is actually made to be a little rough as well, in keeping with the general aesthetic of the recording. And, as anticipated, the lyrics are violent calls to conquer through complete destruction: "Corpses stacked as cordwood awaiting final cremation, The glory of your faith is extermination, Your final reward is death..." In the end this is a promising debut that is hopefully just a jumping off point for the group to continue honing their craft to its most acerbic and efficient level. They're certainly doing something that's all their own, and anything that Pete Helmkamp's involved with is going to have a certain air of intrigue surrounding it, so I'll always be curious to hear their future work. I think the recording and the mix are probably the biggest culprits with this one, as a warmer guitar tone and a more balanced mix that would give the noise elements more depth and force would really make a huge difference. But there's also the complicated manner of trying to achieve a strong union between a metal band and more of a death industrial project, which is no easy task. Both sides of the coin are demonstrated in fine order on this album, but they don't quite coalesce at full force just yet. But hopefully that's not going to be the case as the trio continues to explore this realm of sonic warfare. (6/10)
Running time - 40:39, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Wolves of Flame and Shadow, Iron Law: Iron Will, Kommand]
Agonia Records - http://www.agoniarecords.com

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