Control "The Cleansing" CD
[PACrec]
I wish more experimental noise projects would release CD's like this, because it's just impossible to keep up with every limited release, compilation appearance, etc. from artists in such a vast scene that is expanding at all times. This collection displays over 45 minutes of rare material from one of the finest American power electronics acts out there right now, including the contents of "The Cleansing" 3" CD-R (Frozen Empire Media), one track from the "Bitmapping" compilation (Objective/Subjective), two tracks from the "Field Tales" compilation (Hospital Productions), and the excellent "Praying to Bleed" 7" (LSDO). The songs from "The Cleansing" have a good balance of styles involved and to me are reminiscent of sort of a classic death industrial sound with obscured samples and vocals against dark ambient undercurrents and perfectly integrated harsh layers. The heavy flanging and reverb on the vocals in "Cleansing" lend a UK sort of vibe to the piece, whereas "Elite" is the most subdued and minimal of that bunch. In fact, many of these tracks are a bit less harsh than I was anticipating. Of course there are some scorching vocals in compositions like "Praying to Bleed", but I'm pleasantly surprised by just how effective and fluid all of these songs are when listened to as a complete release. Pretty much all of the recordings are on the raw side, but in a manner that makes sense, so everything is ultra thick and a little rugged, but not sloppy, and any muddiness that's involved feels intentional. Like the other new PACrec releases thus far, the package consists of a matte black and white slipcase, here with largely abstract artwork and clean text. Very well done. I hope other such acts with extensive and somewhat scattered discography appearances will follow this lead. This one's limited to 500 copies as well, making it another potential rarity in and of itself in a few years' time, but for now you shouldn't have a problem tracking down this excellent set of recordings. (8/10)
Running time - 46:27, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Deciding Factor, Cleansing, Lustkiller]
PACrec - http://www.iheartnoise.com

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