The only artist I was not familiar with was Terbeschikkingstelling, so I was interested to see how this collaboration panned out. Here are the personae dramatis: Rutger van Driel (LÄrmschutz) on trombtronics, mixing, mastering; Volker Störtebeker (Terbeschikkingstelling) on trombone, sousaphone, didgeridoo and jaw harp; Chaos V.G. on noise with scrap and other destructible objects; and Fail on electronics. The way that this went down, according to the liner notes, is that “Original tracks and material by Fail (1 and 2) and Chaos V.G. (3 and 4) and manipulated by Rutger van Driel (LÄrmschutz) and Volker Störtebeker (Terbeschikkingstelling).” Well, this sounds like a lot of cooks (and trombonists) in the kitchen, so let’s dive in and see what they cook up.

We kick it off with "Stepping Stone," which is chaotic as hell. Training video voiceover is mixed with trombone, synth, and random noise. The voiceover is then looped and processed. I like how it all disintegrates over time until we are left with just some horn. “Another Try" is a bit less cut up and more organized as a noise track. Clattering metal, analog squiggly noises, and electronic noises mesh with digeridoo and horns to provide some low end. All of this is covered in a thin layer of static. "10.000 Ways That Won't Work" opens with the sounds of someone with an arcwelder and a bad case of flatulence working in a factory. This gets noisier as the wall of noise takes over. Walls of static and electronic noises interrupted by multiple horns. The sousaphone really shines in this piece, giving it a lovely low end. And when was the last time you heard a sousaphone on a noise album? Truly the heaviest of the brass in all ways. "Give It Up" closes it off by bringing the horns to the forefront. Lots of noise and a jaunty brass tune make for an interesting combination.

If you have ever had someone say that noise is just some dude with a bunch of pedals daisy chained together, give them this release. This is one of those cases where the collaboration makes it work because of the differences in approach. The entire thing is a lot of fun and well worth checking out. This album weighs in at around 20 minutes.

I could find nothing on this artist. Discogs had nothing. Nothing on Bandcamp. No website that I could find (unless they are a shipping service). No link in the notes. Maybe related to fencepost who had “bloom & decay” on IDR? Probably, but still we are left with only the music to go on, and with a title like Doom & Betray, and the fact that it is on Inner Demons Records, I think we both have some inkling of what we are in for. But you never know.... IDR likes to throw us a curve ball every now and then. So let's see how postzone plans to betray us and bring about our doom.

We kick it off with "Doom_II," which is noisy, with the sounds of creaking doors, hammering noises, and explosive crashes of noise. We're off to a good start in uneasy listening. "Betray_IV" is every bit as intense but combines the crashing sounds with a lilting synth line that goes through the track, providing an interesting contrast. This would make an excellent addition to a soundtrack, where you want to create an ominous atmosphere that suggests that whatever you fear is right around the corner. "Doom_I" opens with what sounds like field recordings of rifle shots mixed with a sparse beat that continues throughout. Once again, the atmosphere is oppressively dense and the overall effect has a cinematic feel to it. There is a rhythm to the track that keeps it engaging, as the droning synth ebbs and flows with the pauses in gunfire. "Betray_VII" opens with some windchimes that provide an illusion of respite. However, despite the chimes and the melody that flows throughout, there is still a sinister undercurrent lurking here. Even if it is less intense than previous tracks, one gets the sense that he or she would not wish to be a protagonist in whatever this soundtrack is accompanying. At almost 24 minutes, "Betray_II" has time to develop. It starts off less bombastically than the previous tracks, which makes it that much more unsettling when listening to it straight through. This is heavy drone with just a bit of dissonance and a slight bass rumble underneath. The overall effect is like being in the middle of a very large beehive. They don't want to hurt you, though. In fact, they are generally indifferent to your presence, going on about their work. In some ways, this is an exercise in endurance, but as you listen you begin to hear subtle shifts in the drone. About 15 minutes in, there are some moments of synth melody, but this is quickly overpowered by the beehive noise. All is beehive. The beehive is all. "Doom_V" closes it out with a reprisal of shotgun blasts as rhythm and heavy sawtooth synth drone.

Overall, this is not quite noise and not quite dark ambient. It is, however, heavy and cinematic. In The Nursery had a series of discs that they called "optical music," and I like to think of some of these kinds of releases in the same way. This is a soundtrack for a film that exists only in your head, and in this case the overall feeling is not a good one. If anxiety had a soundtrack, this would be it. Really well done and well worth checking out. This album weighs in at around 59 minutes.

I was unfamiliar with this trio before it arrived in my mailbox, but KBD is a trio consisting of Michael Kimaid on Drums and Percussion, Gabriel Beam on Modular Synthesizer and Live Sampling, and Ryan Dohm on Trumpet, Sampler, and Tapes. They hail from Toledo Ohio (go Mud Hens!) and their website describes themselves as "a trio of musicians who perform long form improvisational sound pieces using electroacoustic instrumentation. This approach is experimental by both nature and design, and serves as a way for listeners to engage with deep and active listening." Sounds like a good time, so let's see what this trio has for us.

We kick it off with “At the Threshold,” which is a 32 minute track that sounds like noises heard through a large concrete irrigation pipe. Scrapes, thumps, and other noises with a bit of reverb. This gives way to some analog noises and other synth improvisation along with the ever present clatter. It seems that everything is grist for the improvisational mill, as cymbals, heavily processed voices, clock chimes, and what sounds like field recordings of a crowd all blend together into an interesting soundscape. At times it is chaotic and noisy, while going minimalist at others, but all rather engaging.

Turning over the tape, we have “On Waves, Under Stars,” which keeps the controlled chaos going with a bit more of a percussive feel. This is like listening to a toy factory after it has closed for the night and the toys are moving around on their own. Lots of movement and clattering noise, with woodblock, cymbals, creaking and scratching sounds, squiggly analogue noises, and turntable scratching, but this is much more restrained than the previous track. There is a whimsical quality to the track that adds a feeling of playfulness that was not as evident in the previous track.

In short, if you like it experimental and improvisational, this is one to check out. If you want something in your face, “At the Threshold” is the one to go with. If you want something that evokes a sense of being somewhere that you shouldn't, go with “On Waves, Under Stars.” Either way, you're in for a fun ride. This album weighs in at around 58 minutes.

This is my introduction to Moreine, and the bandcamp bio simply states, "Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon thy horses, upon thy donkeys, upon thy camels, upon thy oxen, and upon thy sheep: there shall be a very grievous moreine." For those who are not Biblical scholars, this comes from Exodus 9:3 (although the King James Version renders this as "murrain," as moreine is the Middle English spelling. And what is this, you may ask? Why a plague, of course. Other than that, I know nothing of the artist, so let's dive right in.

If you are looking for feel good music with what I just told you, you would be barking up the wrong tree. This is dark and oppressive, just the way a plague on all of your cattle should be. This plays out like a soundtrack for the events of Exodus 9, which is a catalog of the plagues that the Lord sent upon Egypt and Pharaoh to convince him to let the children of Israel leave. Heavy drone and animalistic noises play a major role in the compositions and the overall effect is cinematic. The compositions are carefully constructed and nothing seems to be left to chance. Like a vengeful deity, Moreine plays things for maximum impact. The overall effect is unsettling, while avoiding the cliches of horror music. If there is one word to describe this music, it would be "visceral." For example, "The Fifth Plague" almost sounds like a symphony that you are hearing from the inside of an animal's stomach and "Die Like a Pig" likewise sounds like swine feeding at the trough punctuated with heavily processed snippets of voice.

Overall, this is well done, and if you like your music to tell a story, even if (or especially if, for some of you) it is not a pleasant one, this will be right up your alley. This album weighs in at around 51 minutes and is limited to 42 copies.

I was unfamiliar with this group, but The Grey Men hail from Sydney, Australia, and the label describes them as so: “Inspired by early Earth, Sunn 0))) and Fennesz, The Grey Men combine slowly played distorted guitars and feedback with modular synthesizers, tape loops and obscure samples to achieve sounds both harsh and transcendent.” Their bandcamp bio reads “Volume as an instrument and strip nearly everything else away,” which sounds promising, so let’s dive in.

If you like really slow doom style distorted guitars, this album has it in spades. But this is really, really slow stuff. I mean glacially slow. “Canon 3 [Remove],” “Witness,” “Canon 5 [Asphalt],” and “Canon 6 [Vengeance]” all follow a similar recipe. Long sustained chords, with some feedback and eternities of sustain as a garnish.

There are some that go outside of this strategy, and for me the standout track here is “Coeur - feat. MxRF,” with ethereal vocals that are an interesting contrast to the crushing guitar. It is this juxtaposition of the gentle voice and heavy guitars that give this track its power. The guitars seem to be more of a composition in this track, which makes it a much better, much stronger track. Truly lovely. On the other end of the spectrum, we have “Void,” featuring guitar stabs with shrieking underneath, like standing outside of a mental institution with a guitar. Not really my cup of tea, but if you like the screams of the damned, this is where you will find it.

Guitar noise can be interesting (Fear Falls Burning, for example), but much of it began to sound too similar, with the exception of “Coeur,” which I found to be exquisite. That said, if you like your guitar noise extra sludgy, this would be up your alley. This album weighs in at around 66 minutes and is limited to 42 copies.