Low Before the Breeze : "A Hole Beneath The Home We Shared"

 I like where this band from Atlanta is going with the experimental blend of grindcore-like explosions, which find the chaos tempered with atmosphere. That does not mean it's an easy listen, as it took me going back and giving it a second or third pass through before some of the songs clicked with me. The opening track is more possessed by spastic madness, as feed back squeals out over a collage of sampled sonics. It's very dissonant and moody, though more introspective in an odd way than dark. At times, the Locust might be a fair point of reference. "Night Wept" creates a more compelling mood that registers with me, more than the unhinged punk nature of the first song.  The drumming navigates the swirl of noise well, to hold things together. 

"Keep His Name Sacred and Pure" simmers in the glitch garden of sound. It reminds me a little of early Neurosis in this regard. However, it's more of an interlude than a song. 'Days Feel Rehearsed" builds in a slow swell. There is an apocalyptic agony to how it explodes to life. It feels like a mix of sludge and screamo. Granted, sludge seems to proliferate in Atlanta, so that is no surprise. It is more disconnected in its reluctance to recoil into something taunt and more metallic. "The Same Joke Twice" felt like it was an extension of the previous song, so it required another listen to discern the transition. "Cadaver Synod" opens with the wretched scream of the vocals. The spoken vocal creating a chant begins to remind me of King Missile, as the other vocal goes off the rails 

There is a similar transition into "Proverbs 7:22"; it bleeds over from the previous song, and I have to go back to catch up with where we are with things. Though as a stand-alone song, it is sculpted with more precision, and almost hooky. "Collected Messages of Abuse" creates a very effective mood as the samples are layered atop one another. "Faithful Dream" finds a punk energy being amped up, but with more experimental noise rock ambiance. The groove of the song takes a drunken lurch as it finds its footing. The drummer tries to hold the last song together, but there is too much going on for him to contain. It sounds like everyone is going in a different direction. The dynamic shift three minutes in, and it gives the song room to breathe, which is what they sometimes need more of, but I understand why they use tension they way they do, it is unsettling.I like the images painted here by these songs, I will see how it grows on me but is worth repeat listens, fans of more experimental grindcore will finds plenty to embrace here. I will give this album a 9. Out on May 30th .  

<

pst159