A tiny 3" beast (circa 20') from USA Peripheral Pulse. High speed harsh electronics with a brutal, no-frills approach but very good sound quality (is it digital?) with audible shifts in the different layers of noise... not far from Government Alpha or Merzbow. Good that it's a 3" ep, so that they (he?) come, fuck shit up and leave without becoming redundant. A precious little fucker if you enjoy extreme noise.

This is a CDep (but featuring 8 tracks for 40') with 5 original songs from Netherlandish artist Vlerk and three remixes: "End of Ages" re-styled by Arzt+Pfusch Japscat and God Module, and "Corroding Conscience" by Feindflug. Grendel play electro with faster, more melodic and epic moments (which work better) and more mid-tempo tunes. There's no particular point of interest both in rhythms and in synth melodies, but the real problem is the voice: it's high pitched and distorted (a bit black metal sounding, with all due differences), but in some tracks (listen to "Catastrophe" for example) it barely stands above the instrumental part. Besides being momotonous per se, it also risks of sounding indistinct...

Quite eclectic post-rock from this Italian trio, featuring 2/3 of the indie/math-rock band Deep End, and close to another Alessandria project called EN., with which they share a similar approach to song composition. Pölis mix a refinate guitar work with electronic beats & patterns, reminding of TNT-era Tortoise ("Mice age in the land of teeth") or a hybrid of typical post-rock riffs with techno ("Tokyo-MARS (... bushido for aliens)"), but the cd offers a variety of original solutions and atmospheres, from the vaguely June of '44/folkish tunes of "Darby Crash goes to paradise" to the abstract guitar work of "My ICH is your DU". "Caucasian rollercoaster" is an ecstatic trip with strings, flutes and a driving female voice; "Radical (EXTREME) relativism destroyed all we had (good things included)" (... wew! Please note the titles!) and the very short "Templar" have a definite dark-wave slant, while "Grand Guignol" wanders through vinyl noises, a somber piano and spoken vocals. While mixing such different tastes, Pölis manage to maintain a coherent tone, which is a good proof of their capabilities. The only wrong thing of this cd is the really, really horrible layout, but besides that - it's a good work.

Lilacs are back and this new four track E.P. is, in my opinion, their best release to date. Each track has got beautiful melodies and atmospheres and the band is capable to sum all the 80's wave and goth music in nineteen minutes. Influences goes to Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (on "Dead Wood"), Cure and Sound (on "Pendulum") but as for the last E.P. everything is done with taste and personal ideas. If you love 80's sound and new wave by listening to Lilac Ambush you won't be disappointed. A better production of the tracks would help getting a record deal but is that possible that there aren't labels interested in these sounds no more?

Nimh is the other solo project of Giuseppe Verticchio, who released the excellent "Distant Skylines" last year. This work has its backbone in synthsizers, mostly digital ones I guess, though the sound is pretty "analogue" in a lot of passages. Two long tracks (27' and 25') with a lot of inner variations and possible sub-divisions. Sometimes there are several layers with aggressive patterns, sometimes they are reduced to a dark rumbling drone - environmental noises and voices (is it Russian?) only help in creating a tense, breath-taking atmosphere of panic and siege. Judging by the cover the work is inspired by war sceneries, effectively evoked by these cold, corrosive sounds.