Very nice. These are swirling, bleak dark ambient soundscapes that, while thematically related to physical conflict, sound more like the flowing, depressing soundtrack accompanying the cold, hopeless aftermath of the apocalypse. Lush synths carry subtle, droning melodies in cooperation with reverberating percussive sounds that resonate with great depth. Everything is very spacious and open, not necessarily what I would call minimal, but certainly not busy... everything has a lot of room to breathe. The musical elements are superbly handled as well, bringing in an emotionally gripping element without taking things too far or truly constructing what I would classify as "musical" pieces. In "A Failure at Liberty" some of the slightly rhythmic sounds that come in are distorted to a more aggressive degree than most of the other elements manipulated herein, but the overall atmosphere remains completely intact - as is also the case when throbbing, windy distorted textures loudly surge forth towards the closing moments of "From Glory to Where". For the most part, barring the occasional harsher edge that seeps in perfectly, the entire disc is very consistent, and flows together almost narratively with a nice tide that ebbs and flows throughout. "Nightraid" employs a few subtly explosive moments as well as some obscured vocal samples to create a mood fitting of the title, and is probably the most distinct track herein as far as physical character is concerned, but the chilling piano melodies and succinct screeching textures of "The Sweet Hereafter" are the standout as far as overall quality/force. I love the artwork here. The colors are earthy browns with rich orange hues and such, creating a consistent and bleak vision that matches the concept of the sounds perfectly. There's also an excellent statement inside expanding on the ideas of the record, pointing out that there are healthy aspects to conflict, but that the "pointless destruction" of so many wars serves no purpose when there are "no political visions to realize, no higher goal to pursue, no new beginning, no rebirth". Very cool. This is an excellent release that shows great thought and maturity conceptually and as well as how it is pieced together and ordered. The recording quality is superb, and the record really feels like a complete whole that conveys images representative of its overall concept, which is no easy task. Highly recommended.
[Cold Meat]
Running time - 49:52, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Blackout, Deceit, The Sweet Hereafter]
Cold Meat Industry - http://www.coldmeat.se
