Ghäst / Rape-X (s/t) Split CD
Obskure Sombre Records brings us this highly interesting split release, featuring two relatively unknown bands who deliever two different music styles. Canada's Ghäst open the disc with their first contribution 'Le Noyé' and plunge into a world of feedback, black ambient and mesmerizing loops. Within a very few seconds the band is capable to construct a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. Although they have a modern sound, I detect subliminal influences from German pioneers like Tangerine Dream and Cluster but that doesn't mean Ghäst is trying to revitalize the early 70's. Sometimes a slightly distorted voice can be heard which is interwoven into this impervious sonic web that is fraught with tension.
With minimal effort Ghäst achieve a maximum impact and although this track comes along with a running time of 21:16 minutes I could listen to it for more like an hour. ' Tétanos ' has a more conventional sludgy approach, despite the noisy opening. It sounds as if the band is using a drum computer what doesn't sound really good to me. With a lot of goodwill I could describe this song as a diet version of Godflesh due to it's mechanical beat. Hailing from Pennsylvania, USA RAPE-X is a power electronics unit which is in the wake of bands like The Grey Wolves, Deathpile or Control. 'Civil Servant' is subdivided into three parts with a running time between 4:38 minutes and 20:04 minutes.
The main distinction between RAPE-X and aforementioned bands is the fact that this material is less abrasive and heavy, whilst also using the roaring voice as an instrument to spread the message of violence and hate. The sonic background is filled with unstructured and dissonant frequencies that unfurl their uneasy mood in the last part 'The Mayor' which represents all the brutal power of RAPE-X. Thick layers of throbbing noise support the monstrous vocals and the intensity of that track is impressive. This split release has turned out well for my taste, because it presents two very ambitious bands with a compelling musical vision.
(KK)