review :: burlaprecords
The trademark rumble of The Rita is here in full form, with screeching layers punctuating the rolling sea of chaos. The tone of the main layer shifts constantly through "Wolf Pack", the first 30-minute track on the disc. As the track comes to a close (in the 20- to 30-minute area) the chaos grows more and more layered, with the start-and-stop sound of power tools, high-intensity feedback, and total rhythmic decentering. The second track, "Blechholler", is more subdued in some ways, as the Rita Rumble (tm) takes front stage for the first part of the track, with comparatively quiet contributions from Mania, who collaborated on the track. There are many tasty moments in this track...a really nice section begins a little before the 10-minute mark. It slows down (tempo? sort of) halfway through the track, with the bass tones taking the foreground.
Overall, this is an excellent album in the expanding scene of harsh noise. The Rita has a style that can be considered to be an extremely loud form of ambient music--depending on how you listen, it can be an avalanche of sound that pummels and crushes you with no release, or a wall of serenity with just enough punctuation to keep you listening. If you're into The Rita, find a copy of this album. If you haven't gotten past the armored underbelly of the harsh noise scene, give it a listen, and adjust the volume to wherever you find it suits your taste. For those who have heard some of the stuff in the subgenre and aren't yet convinved it's more than just a pedal loop and a mixer without an artist shaping the sound, check it out.
