Pneumatic Detach: [vis-cer-a]
Hive Records

Some poor bloke's innards lay splattered all over the front and back covers of [vis-cer-a], a thirteen-track exercise in 'hard electronix' by Pneumatic Detach (Justin Brink), with piercing pins adding further indignity to the bloodied slab on the back (one shudders contemplating the imagery in an upcoming Pneumatic Detach DVD). The mood is paranoiac and the music violent, an hour-long caterwaul of electronic howls, throbbing beats, tribal hammering, and ominous washes. Yep, it's unapologetically raw, twisted, and merciless, yet beneath the crushing exterior—seriously!—lurks some vestige of a musical heart, even if a thoroughly agonized one. Brave souls hellbent on locating it will encounter “Putrescence” writhing like some crazed beast plus the incinerating funk of “Domination.” In concluding remixes, C2 adds an electro-dance feel to “Dischordant” while O2 (Mike Wells of Gridlock) brings dramatic elegance to “Sona.” Depending on one's listening disposition, the prospect of an imminent Pneumatic Detach Remix CD (featuring contributions from Perfection Plastic, bereft, Cdatakill, Censor, Retnah, Scrap.edx, Displacer, Grenadier, Exclipsect, Raxyor, Manufactura, Terrorfakt, and Andraculoid) will be cause for jubilant anticipation or fearsome dread. Consider [vis-cer-a] an ideal soundtrack for some future limb-severing session.

October 2005