Both of these artists have been around the noise scene for a very long time, so I was interested to hear this tape and waited until I had an hour to devote to sitting and listening to it because I knew that it would be demanding. Knurl is the work of Toronto-based musician Alan Bloor, who uses found objects such as car springs, scrap metal, saw blades, and other industrial detritus “to create the sounds that inspired him while working in welding shops in Windsor, Ontario.” Lackthrow is the work of Pennsylvania-based artist Andrew Powell, who has been at it for over 20 years now. So let's dive in.

First up, we have Knurl, with "Analyzing the Structure." There is a lot going on in this track. High pitch static, rumbling bass noise, tortured distorted vocals, with all of it thrown together into a blender and distorted beyond recognition. There's a lot of variety in the track which keeps it interesting and one of Knurl's strong points is the use of dynamics throughout. There are times where it gets softer to the point where you think that the track is ending, only to have him unload with both barrels again. And of course it wouldn't be Knurl without the sound of scrap metal being violently abused. This is one long track and it never gets dull. This is exactly the kind of noise that I enjoy. If you're looking for old school harsh distorted noise this is just what the doctor ordered. Solidly done.

Next up we have Lackthrow with "The Tragic Loss of Nuance." We start off with a repetitive loop that sounds like a machine. There are moments were part of the signal cuts out giving the illusion that it might shift, but really it's just a moment where the machine goes off the rails entirely. This is totally chaotic cut up noise, but it is not entirely random. In fact, the looping motif from the beginning of the track recurs throughout the piece, giving it a sense of continuity. The entire track has a machine like feel to it with everything coated in a dense layer of static and hiss.

Overall this is a solid tape with two masters of their craft. Sometimes when you have one track per side it can tend to get a little overwhelming and begin to all sound the same. Neither of these tracks managed to fall into that trap. Very well done. If you're looking for noise that has a lot of variety to it this is definitely going to be up your alley. This tape weighs in at around 59 minutes.