Scutopus "Feeding" CD
[self-released]
Nine tracks of fucking brutal harsh noise with a really crisp recording. Now, I say "brutal" because even though it's not oppressively thick or overpowering, it's definitely intense. There's a shitload of chaotic panning and high-end attack, it's louder than hell, and in the end it's just a total blitz across the ears. I'm honestly sitting here listening to this thing in headphones at one of the lowest volume settings possible and it's still piercing through my ears rather painfully. Admittedly I'm not sure some of these tracks warrant running as long as seven to nine minutes by any means, there's no great wealth of originality or variety within these compositions, but there is a certain element of creativity and intrigue. And hell, I must say that the recording quality alone is admirable, because it's so fucking clear and loud that you can make out every single ear shredding detail. Most of the tracks revolve around the higher end of the spectrum, with swirling feedback or biting treble tones, a little bit of crispy midrange sizzle, quick cutups, etc. On occasion things will calm down a bit with a brief lull or drone, but things never really lean too far towards what could be considered much of a bass presence. It doesn't sound thin, though. I'm not sure how, but they manage to pull it off. The CD-R comes in a slim jewel case with a color xerox insert. The front cover illustration is a slightly more detailed take on the same drawing used for their last 3" release, and the back shows a hand reaching for an old tape deck perched atop a rock with the tracklist and such underneath it. This is indeed a stronger effort than the 3" CD I heard previously. For my personal tastes 55+ minutes of this work is more than a tad boring, as there's just not enough variety to keep it fresh and I don't feel that the similarities between the tracks really hold much weight within this context. I would, however, recommend this to fans of harsh noise that's quirkier and perhaps more obscure than the norm, because this is definitely some of the most damaging material I've come across. (6/10)
Running time - 55:51, Tracks: 9
[Notable tracks: Distichous Radula, Radular Sac]
Scutopus - http://www.conrexrecords.com/scutopus/

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