PutaShriek - Rebirth I

PutaShriek is a Swedish Old School EBM act that has had a two decade plus long hiatus from the underground electronic sub-genre. The project was formed by Johansson and Rohnitz in 1992 where they found influences from their heroes Leaetherstrip, A split second, Pouppee Farikk, and Skinny Puppy. They experimented for two years and gradually understood their sound more and more as they got their own equipment. However, after leaving school the two slowly stopped making music together, although Johansson did continue his career into the extreme black metal scene.

The resurgence of old school sounds in the modern age led the two back to create EBM that sounded like what they listened to in their early teens. Their desire overtook them and with the promise of the ease of sharing music in the digital age PutaShriek came back together for what is their rebirth - as hinted by the title of their latest EP. 

It's easy to say in the lease that the black metal inspiration can be seen on the cover art of the album via the medieval, stained glass style of art on the front. I was fairly satisfied with that bit and spent a good amount of time staring at it and getting an idea of what I was stepping into. Alas, art is subjective and means different thing to everyone.

The four tracks on the EP are lo-fi blasts from the past with whisper screams interspersed throughout. It is a stompy thrill ride from start to finish with dance synths backing a majority of the mechanics. Just like any good underground EBM project, you're going to hear many random electronic noises in the tracks, more so in 'Insanity Dwells Here' than any other. My favorite song on the album has got to be 'Bleeding Like A Sinner'. It's a very slow moving, menacing track that clashes between experimental electronics and ambiance. It was amazing. 

That being said, give this album a shot in the dark; these guys may not be the highest blip on the radar, but I could see them gaining a cult following in no time.