Here we have 13 tracks of raw power electronics from this self-proclaimed "true crime noise" act on his third release. Apparently, each of the project's efforts are dedicated to specific serial killer cases - down to the artwork and song titles, and this particular outing was inspired by lesser known late-70's/early-80's murderer Richard Cottingham. The subject matter is certainly nothing new, nor is the music, but that doesn't mean there's a lack of potential. What holds things back, for me at least, is that this release is a mere 16 minutes long - meaning that each track averages about a minute each, so a lot of the material feels a little underdeveloped. In addition to the concise running times, the tracks are built largely around distorted vocals and minimal harsh textures that have dark ambient atmospheres tied in, but tend to strip things down to basics without much layering at all, so... it kind of sounds like one layer of noise and one layer of vocals - recorded rough and gritty to keep things thick and somewhat dingy. Some of the tracks sort of run together, but not in a way that makes this feel like one complete vision. The only thread that ties the pieces together in that manner is the lyrical content, which sort of outlines the more graphically violent elements of the case (of course). With numerous short bursts of less than a minute ("Rage", "Room 417", "Some Kind of Sadist", and so on), the general differentiator is how much distortion is used, or whether or not it's of the grating high-end feedback variety or more of a midrange crunch. I'm fine with that, I'd just prefer to hear the compositions take on a more lively approach that would feel somewhat more developed and thought out. The CD-R is housed in a small, simple, elongated sleeve printed on speckled gray paper from a home printer. It looks D.I.Y., but it works. The inserts are either xeroxed or printed in the same manner, including additional imagery (mutilated corpses) and text information reprinted from documents exploring the factual matters of the subject's exploits. I actually think that's a cool decision, as it makes for an interesting read that gives a little more substance to the material - even if it is just another dude gruffly shouting about torturing and killing women or whatever. The release is limited to a mere 27 copies, so it's not going to reach many listeners, but then that's a bit of a standard for newcomers in this genre. I don't think Albert Fish is My Hero is ready to take on the best of the best just yet (to be totally honest I find the name of the project to be the weakest link herein - it just seems too "easy" and uninteresting), but this isn't a bad offering. I'd like to hear longer tracks that delve into a little more layering and atmosphere, taking heed to bury the vocals a little deeper within their surrounding textures, etc. Not bad, it just needs more effort to really leave a mark.
[Dumping Ground]
Running time - 16:37, Tracks: 13
[Notable tracks: there are no major standouts, but most of the segments have their moments]
Dumping Ground Recordings - [email protected]
