Godhole vs Crozier
Anthrophobia
Mind Ripper Collective
Godhole’s self-titled double EP was one of the most impressive powerviolence/grind/noise debuts of recent times, and working with harsh noise artist Crozier hasn’t exactly calmed the Edinburgh trio down. Not surprisingly, this is even more aggressively dissonant than the EP, but like that work, what makes it so effective is Godhole’s ability to create a wall of sound that is emotionally affecting beyond the simple gut reaction of brain-scrambling fury. The noise element is all the more effective because it’s so seamlessly interwoven with the songs. These are short and apparently spontaneous, but never shapeless; for something so short and brutal (seven tracks in just over seven minutes) it touches a lot of bases; powerviolence, grind, noise, hardcore, even metal; this is extreme music that should appeal to fans across many subcultures. All of which makes Anthrophobia sound more accessible than it is. In fact, it’s hair-raising, brain-melting and electrifying stuff – but in the end it’s strangely moving too; a cathartic release that is absolutely what underground music is all about – and there’s even a sample of Hugh Laurie; win-win.
