LIVERNOIS : ":ablation:"

There is a great deal to like when it comes to this  project from New Orleans. It also raises the question of why more goth and industrial bands are not coming out of that city? They are very dark and gritty and do not give a fuck about the dance floor which I appreciate. If we think about some of the best industrial that came out of the 90s it also did not care about the dance floor. There is noise, and plenty of rough edges to the opening track that slithers through the gutters. It carries more groove than the more obtuse second song. Interestingly, the second part of 'Tear Catcher" precedes the first part of this album. The vocals are a drugged-out sneer, desperate and mocking in equal measure with disdain conveyed in both deliveries. 

"Tit for Tat" is more atmosphere in it's brooding speculations. The vocals are more of a hushed accusation, not until Reznor's approach on "the Downward Spiral".The guitars do kick into a more defined rock riff, but the beats do not carry the added weight to make this dynamic heavy. Still, I like the 90s feel of what is happening here. 'Tearcathcer pt1" is more experimental with layers of noise opening the song. It takes about two minutes for things to converge into a song, once it gains momentum, things are heavy on the industrial side with crunching machine-like pounding being dished out. Perhaps it's not as catchy as the first wave of Marilyn Manson impersonators who hit the scene in the 90s, but it still works well enough. 

The last song finds the vocals getting more aggressive and screaming in a manner, not unlike the harsher delivery of Psyclon 9. The drum programming does not pack as much of a punch as what those guys do, however, these guys are proving to be heavier than I expected, since I first heard of them when I saw them listed as the openers for the current leg of Vision Video's summer tour. This is only a five-song EP, but I am impressed with the direction they are going in, would like to hear what they sound like with more production value, for what this is in the current presentation, they are dark and have enough grit in their attitude for me to give them a 9, which makes them one of the better industrial releases this year. 

pst237