Here's a group that's been around for a while, at lest since 2017. Comprised of East Tennesseans Evan Lipson and Evmh, 'Empire of Liberty' is Meinschaft's fourth full length album, and their first on a label I'm familiar with. Prior efforts by this outfit have been compared to Dead Can Dance, Coil, Scott Walker and Insane Clown Posse, but over the first few tracks I'm not hearing any of that. The opening number, "Freezing Rain," employs acoustic guitar and acoustic bass with mournful synth voice which is rather nice, but unlikely to reveal what you're in for.

"Lux Æterna, Part One" begins with a baritone choral voices, adding a sequenced synth line, some spoken word about destructive sunshine, then adding freefrom brass, and again the song changes before conclusion. "Lux Æterna, Part Two" offers some cool chord changes over intense beats, somewhat reminiscent of outfits like AIR, with a touch of Tuxedo Moon-style melancholy. So far this is all rather mellow compared to what I was expecting, and quite melodically musical. The weirdness doesn't really begin until the third track - "Gay Parade." It's a downtempo crawl with gravelly vocals - "I saw you at the gay parade, you were drinking a Gatorade..." ... utter silliness beneath a darkly furrowed brow. The song that follows, "French Erection," begins with buzzy sawtooth bass and Residents-style vocals with other percussive elements. It becomes rather disjunct when the acoustic guitar and watery elements enter towards the end.

"Event Horizon" is a nice old school synth instrumental that borrows the melody from Suzanne Vega's "Tom's Diner," in a child-like voice before it descends into chaos and noise, and then its back to the Vega melody again. "Biting the Hand" sounds like a stoned or drunken Jonah Hex, if he was fronting some industrial slowcore metal outfit. "Remember to Remember (You Must Die)" juxtaposes acoustic guitar with electronic effects and sad synth lines before a baritone vocal croons out a melody at the end. The familiar "Heart of Glass"/Wall of Voodoo-like electronic percussion pattern opens "Anacalypto," reminiscent more of the latter than the former, likely due to the stark, minimal guitar riff. "Pneumatic Waltz" is a quirky but genial synth instrumental. There is something familiar about "Wave Train" that I just can't put my finger on. It could be the simple treble melody, the moving bass lines, the fluid-echo slide guitar, the percussion./drum loops, the stolen background voices...I dunno...but it's interesting.

"Mother & Son" is an acoustic guitar-backed melancholy ballad that goes through a brief harsh section before ending placidly. "Haints & Sinners" is a spooky finger-poppin' back alley number with free jazz elements on the horn-side. I think there's a missed opportunity with this one as it doesn't really go anywhere until the end when it devolves into a hokey melody. Maybe that's the point. Last track (or next to last, depending on whether you sprung for the CD or not) is "The Fall," which starts out as a quiet Death In Juney kind of ballad before it zzz's out. Very nice! On the CD there's a hidden track called "For Francis Scott Key" which is part Star Mangled Banner and part chaos. As strange as many parts of this album are, there is almost as much that's rather normal, and I daresay, a bit sentimental, making this even a more eclectic listening experience.

It should be mentioned that Evan Lipson's previous project include Normal Love and Satanized, and also produced the synaesthetic internet radio show, Evcast with Evmh. Lipson has performed and/or recorded with artists such as Susan Alcom, Eugene Chadboure, Elliott Sharp, Col. Bruce Hamopton (of the Hampton Grease Band), Pauline Oliveros, and Mat Maneri, among others. 'Empire of Liberty' also features appearances by FKA ICE, Greg Kelly, Jonathan Moritz, Ben Bennett, Jack Wright, Mike Pride, and Brandon Seabrook. My guess is that if you like the Residents and Tuxedo Moon, or left-of-center electronica projects, you will probably enjoy this. CD limited to 250 copies.