This is among the darker albums I've heard in a long time. It's massive waves of tension and noise and a bleak, overpowering sense of foreboding. Much of the album is built around amelodic, hyper-distorted chunks of guitar noise, vocals that couldn't possibly have been created by a human being and a massive, rumbling bass sound. It's experimental and the first listen is a trip because you won't have any clue what to expect from one moment to the next. Generally, much of what's on here falls into one of two extremes: it'll pound your ears into oblivion or else slowly envelop you with the sonic equivalent of everything negative in the world. It's a challenging album for those who prefer riffs and melodies but it creates a vivid atmosphere and, in so doing, is massively successful. Music this intense and bleak doesn't come around often. Tracks like "Come Apart" and "Pitcher" are over-the-top in their thunderous pummeling; others, like "Family Therapy" and "Endless Night" use slower tempos and plod along. All are heavy, aided by an unforgiving low end and a mechanistic rhythm (where rhythm can be heard, that is). There are elements of hardcore here, some noise, some post-punk, a touch of electronic stuff here and there. I don't have a clue how to categorize this but it does a fantastic job in churning the contents of my brain into deep, dark mush.8.5 / 10
