Negru Voda & Knös - Face Without Face

Another portion of finest power electronics and death industrial arrives from across the seas from tireless Malignant Records. This time you will be able to taste the finest dish in the form of a split cd full of interesting material from two Sweden residents. While Negru Voda is a common and easily recognizable name on modern industrial scene, the second guy is completely unknown to me (at least). Trying to dig out some info had left me in even more confusion because there is no info at all except of few remarks here and there in different reviews of other online resources.

Anyhow, I assume that most of those that will be interested in this release are already acquainted with Negru Voda and its extreme material. Without a doubt, a strong wind of creativity blows out of Peter Nyström's head and it can be clearly seen in this split album. And as for Knös... I say that less prejudgment leaves a lot of space for imagination and anticipation.

But let's get directly to the point. No need in flirting and foreplay. Just take your knife and cut the throat of the bitch. The sounds in your head will remain the same with or without those stupid actions, so why would you care. What you can hear from Negru Voda is raw as a filet from the haunch of your recent victim. Dirty industrialization, working engines of machines, unprocessed and uncompromising analog electronics, all of those effects are the core technology to create five tracks about pure devastation of the human race. There is not much happening in "Still Death" and "Different Layers", a monotone sound of some mechanism fills the space to create a certain ambience. Just close your eyes and drift in it, but pay attention to accidental machinery beats, clanks and soft scratches, distant barrel beats and trembling bass pulsations.

Get yourself ready for "Der Scharfrichter" (executioner) because with this composition you can feel the last beats of your heart before your worthless carcass will be hanged up high. It gallops with the highest speed, you feel a huge pressure in your head, and a red veil covers your eyes. A sampled voice telling confessions of an executioner guides you through the atmosphere and adds a lot of special flavor. While "Inside the Broken Machine" concentrates on pure mechanical factory process with some sampled voices inclusions, "Distorted Warfare" closes gaps between black ambience and power electronics. It is much noisier and heavier than four others, but still keeps the spirit of destruction and total terror of the land that belongs to cockroaches. You will be the last man standing to witness the dawn of humanity.

The second part of this cd is related to Knos and I certainly love what I hear from him. The guy presents a really mature sound organization for the first steps of his musical carrier. Many fellas out there try to gain (without success) the same intensity of sound for years. Playing with a balance between ambience and noise, Knös creates a true gloomy death industrial image. All five tracks show a concentration of electrical shamanism and horror. Ritualistic percussion is mixed with harsh electronics, noisy frequencies and distorted vocals. "Slå Ihjäl Dig" and "Du Har Fan Inget Ansikte" are the tracks of the highest quality where rich, dense vibrations and drilling roll over and over pushed by offensive and evil atmosphere.

Old techniques are being explored with a lot of passion and dedication on this CD. Peter Nyström proves once again - what was fresh twenty years ago can still remain powerful and full of hidden delights. From the other side, Knös shows that there is still enough space at the scene for the newcomers to kick ass with the finest black ambient and death industrial tunes. I was really impressed and surprised to discover this name. Desperation and madness are really strong feelings to operate with especially when they are in the hands of talented Sweden comrades. Make sure to grab this CD before it changes its status to "out of stock" because there are only 150 copies available out there. Feb 14 2014