Release
date: June 10th
2016. Label: Thrill Jockey Records. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
What
One Becomes – Tracklisting
1.Image
of Control
2.Rigid
Man
3.Clutch
of Oblivion
4.Blackout
5.
Will to Reach
Band
Members:
Aaron
Turner
Brian
Cook
Nick
Yacyshyn
Review:
This
is heavy music on a slightly progressive scale, made by skinless
forms not unlike chunks of meat flesh. It consists of many sounds
parts, including distortion, feedback, clamouring, pounding,
screaming and overall damage. The vocals are straight from the
obituary column. All the songs are long, clocking in over 9 minutes
and the longest song tops 17 minutes in duration.
I
will let the songs speak for themselves...
Image
of Control - The introduction of this record and inception of the
first song begins with what sounds like the cacophonous and painful
birth of Neanderthals who immediately rise to find instruments that
were buried within the earth beside them and instinctively bang on
these musical tools to create a hostile and minimalistic soundscape.
The progression of the song builds structure, but sonically, it
remains rudimentarily harsh and fundamentally brash. This is exposed
nerve flesh twitching like afterbirth born in a salt mine.
Rigid
Man - After the previous song documenting the sounds of atrocious
birth comes the next instalment that shows a strengthening of the
musical phrase architecture amidst the residual chaos. The softer
section of this song reminds me of the kind of tremulous sound waves
you might hear emitted from a huge gray colored harp, plucked by an
old witch's arthritic hand, the kind of strums that recede into the
black compartments of the unconscious mind. The song erupts back into
life like the tail of a thresher shark in attack mode.
Clutch
Of Oblivion - A tune evoking the soft and the eerie, providing
instructions that indicate your errors are not mistakes, but rather
the language of the ancients. The
song blooms into twisted guitars, uninhibited drums and guttural
screams, the soundtrack for the self righteous prig who ingested the
nature beware, tell tale blood hued flowers, toxic in all their
poisons.
Blackout
- Drums accompany the static along with screams that may be
borderline cannibalistic. Repetition through distorted guitar
strumming and skittish drum head clangs, all bent and determined to
memorialize the arduous symphony cry...'hail to the triumphant
nomad'.
Will
To Reach - Double time march of drum percussion, metallic machine gun
riffage, and battle cry type wails, transform into a progressive
interlude and reflection period that traverses off course,
fastidiously ringing the distorted slaughter house bell comprised of
instruments with non stop, unforgivable, conveyor belt purposes. This
is free association for a psychopath.
This
album contains the pulse of a newborn race of overlords. This is
sheer permafrost and you will find nothing warm here. It is the
musical score of primal resources attracting morose interests. It is
the guitar that provides utter pollution, alongside relentless drum
skin throbbing, all amidst curdled vocals of death. This album
fulfils the basic human need found within the core foundation of
heavy music. Pick up a wooden club, hold it up to the red sun and
beat your chest like a man-beast. All hail the almighty Sumac...
Words
by Nick Palmisano
What
One Becomes will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Thrill Jockey
Records from June 10th 2016.
Links:
