Vice Wears Black Hose "Daniela Slitting CS
The newest tape from Ramirez/McKinley continues the prolific legacy of their collaborative project, Vice Wears Black Hose. The tape begins and it becomes evident that the material fits the menacing cover artwork (a simple digital collage showcasing two women with slit throats divided by shining fetish footwear distorted by a blue photographic filter...). An extended emphasis had been placed on providing the listener with a chilling atmosphere as opposed to the high-fidelity, crackle-and-crinkle approach boasted on previous efforts. Tight-knit and partially muffled, the pieces here push forwards like glaciers bursting through the ocean...I cannot stress how cold this tape sounds. Occasionally, particularly on side A, there is an interesting integration of moving sounds and (what seems to be) undistorted sources buried deep underneath the surface layer of ice and static. Highly recommended for fans of previous VWBH works, as well as those whom may have been skeptical due to longer track length, not being as avid about HNW in the past, etc.
Dark Worship "Fullmoon Over My Dark Castle" CS
Splendid private tape available only to Down & Out Monthly subscribers. Crude Black Metal with occasional dollops of martial industrial here-and-there. Little information is available in regards to the projects location and members. Surely not for those who don't have an ear for "dead production". Inside all of the blistering feedback, a blown-out recording and buzzing guitars, there is a masterpiece of "tape-only" Black Metal that is begging to be experienced. "Fullmoon Over My Dark Castle" is too difficult to describe accurately into words...it requires immersion. For listeners with a stomach for hideousness and an eye for the unknown.
Work/Death "The Approach" CS
An older tape from Providence, Rhode Island harsh noise master, Work/Death. I received this tape in 2011 after witnessing Reber play a jaw-dropping set and have continued to keep this tape in heavy rotation ever since. Mixing elements of heavy sound collage, multi-layered bursts of hot-static and metal clamoring, and whirling tape manipulations topped with deep, dirge-like atmospherics, it is nearly impossible not to be left in awe. My only complaint is the c20 runtime (this is a personal objection however...I could listen to these pieces build, break, and transform for hours on end). For anyone unfamiliar with one of America's "best kept secrets", I would advise searching for this release as a welcoming introduction to the world of Work/Death.
