I bought my first Merzbow CD at Circuit City, of all places, not some hip record store. I put it on at home and thought my speakers had blown out. Then I wondered what would have happened had I slipped it into the "play pile" at the store; pretty good way NOT to sell stereos, I guess.
Merzbow remains prolific, rising from time to time to serve up another slab of noise-rock. The new Sedonis is divided between two shorter pieces and two longers ones. "Sedonis A" is clattering and chaotic, while "Sedonis B" is more drone-y. Both assault the senses, with the variables being method and volume of attack. The longer "Sedonis C" is feedback warped back upon itself, the sound a real squall of noise even as things briefly smooth out and coalesce around a piercing single sound. The final cut on Sedonis is the epic "Monolith 4", a number that ventures across a truly malevolent soundscape into an atmosphere or screaming feedback and battering drones. It's magnificent.
There's nothing here that will surprise a Merzbow fan, and plenty that will please those who are already devotees. Merzbow still retains the ability to stun with the force of his music, and this one, like the best records in his back catalog, can also serve as an entry-point for a newbie.
Sedonis by Merzbow is out now via Signal Noise.
[Photo: Jenny Akita]