RU-486 - CONCEALED WEAPONRY 2005-2010 CS (DISEASE FOUNDRY RECORDINGS)
This is over 70 minutes of collected material from the American Harsh Noise/Power Electronics artist known as RU-486. The release comes in a box casing with collector's items such as a patch and a badge. Most RU-486 releases are around 10 minutes long, and so this collects together several of them as well as some compilation tracks and things of that nature. This opens with some of the most recent material, the 10 minute cassette "Filth Fantasies." The content of the recordings ventures further into the direction of sexual perversion and fascination with the exploration of vice. Each of the first two tracks clocking in at just under five minutes apiece. They are similar in style to the older material on the tape, but with a noticeably more professional recording and structured sort of feel to the composition and production. Much of the older material on this release is a series of very ferocious and destructive blasts of harsh noise. Although the imagery and presentation suggests a more Industrial influence, the sounds are pure Harsh Noise often in the vein of the classic older material of Incapacitants and Black Leather Jesus. There are vocals on the material here from the cassette on Dead Audio that is reproduced on this cassette, but the majority of the sounds are very primal. Percussive elements join in with squeals and destructive anti-harmonies to make some grotesque and pungent digging layers of brutal ripping noise. There are additional sounds from the noise artist Churner (who runs the Violent Noise Atrocities label, which released some of these recordings that are on this release). Churner's presence is somewhat undetectable but his presence surely has added to some really great and weird sick noise sounds. Many of the tracks feature RU's trademark high-pitched yell, a siren-like noise that he says is directly influenced by Rob Halford. Much of the harsh noise sounds behind the artist on these tracks resembles the improvisational and ghostly tendencies of Throbbing Gristle, so the Industrial influence of this artist seems to be tapping more into the basic roots rather than the more modern conception of Industrial music. Many of the sounds on this release are of an experimental nature, and as such they are very much in the spirit of the classic tradition of harsh noise and cassette industrial type of sound, staying true to the hard work and commitment that is necessary to have in order to fully dedicate oneself to true expression in noise. Not experimental in the sense of someone who does not know what they are doing, the experiments are journeys of self and explorations of internal dramas that are occasionally displayed naked in the disturbing presentation.
I know for a fact that Thomas hates the material on the "Princess Of Rot" cassette, but it is here in all of its raw and blemished glory, a dedication to the eternal muse Lindsay Lohan. Some of the rawest and most heartfelt sounds are on these tracks, which seems to have had at least a spiritual influence-on/affinity-with some of the PE coming from the supposed "no coast" crowd. Chaotic banging and clanging mixes with a cacophony of crashing and ricocheting feedback, drowning the listener in completely fried out electronics and howls. This material opens side B and is in my opinion one of the highlights of this entire release. Some of the most pure and vicious sounds that this artist has to offer are on that tape, blending blistering Japanese noise-style harshness with old-school 80s tape-style PE aggression in an even and considered balance (without vocals) on the track "Dayjob" also culled from the same cassette. The material on here from the Phage Tapes cassette is in a harsh wall of noise style that is pretty unusual for this artist to utilize but works very well. Seems to blend radio noise with some crunching loop... blackened and dark harsh noise wall music in the strictest sense, but with some slight breaks into voices that are audible, either samples or the radio. The different styles on the release make for a very interesting listen, much like the singles collection of the great Athens, GA doom group Harvey Milk. An Atrax Morgue cover is pulled off very competently and with much care for the original material ("Childfucker" to be exact, with contributions from Hierchiss aka Biological Girl) and is followed by a 3" cd titled "Preliminary Sexual Distinction." The dark noise track, "Glasses," I believe ranks as my favorite track that I have heard from the RU-486 project. Whipping sounds, feedback and harsh juddering noise bring a vicious and brutal atmosphere to a truly Industrial-strength track that harkens back to the power of "Halogen"-era Whitehouse. Sick and deranged sounds with a whimpering female voice, very up front and giving you what you want. Next track is a sort of PE ballad about "Russian Teen Kate." Similar in vibe to Nicole 12's track "Ballerina," it finds RU in a clean vocal style that is unlike the howls and yells that appear throughout the rest of the release. Very soft ambient tones and clearly enunciated vocals surprise the ear after all of the chaotic harsh noise and make for two tracks that stand out very much on the B-side of this release. An almost ambient sound to the music gives it an otherworldly and even beautiful sound, with the grunting and muttered vocals punctuating the sound of a transformative experience. Very creepy track that reminds me of an article that I was reading recently about a British investigation into "SNIPE" videos and something called "Necros Pedo" in Russia. Unsettling stuff to say the least. It is interesting to hear what once were a multitude of short cassette tapes brought together in this single release, and it is definitely a lot of material to dig into for your noise dollar. Nice presentation and release from Disease Foundry here... very much enjoy listening to this release, and look forward to hearing what RU-486 does in the future. Nice.
