Lights Out, God Help Me - The Dolores Umbridge EP

Let me start off by saying that this new release by Lights Out, God Help Me was so powerful that it managed to fuck up that artist's PC. Perhaps it might just continue on to create a vortex in the earth that will ravage and rape the world over. Though that might be a bit of an exaggeration, I present to you the man's latest work, The Dolores Umbridge EP.

While I'm not all to certain as to why a fictionalized character from the Harry Potter was implemented as both the title for this EP, as well as the cover art, I can tell you what I do know about it. It's five tracks of powernoise drive tracks, three fresh, with two being reworked from previous releases.

The Genesis gives us a little taste test of LOGHM's evolution in sound; perhaps not best said as an evolution, perhaps more so as a rehabilitation. A slow beat emerges with steady electronic effects inputted to help keep the song moving. While the beat was nice, it caught on pretty fast. Though different effects were introduced throughout the track, it still got kind of old in it's three and a half minute duration.

The steady beat of How To Make Noise And Influence People was more rhythmic noise than anything. Although I still have the same complaints to make as with the previous song, I still say that this was a decent track all on its own.

You then get treated to an eerie introduction in Put Your Fucking Masks On II. This song right here is the exact direction that LOGHM should continue in. Not in terms of sound, because I do enjoy the always different sounding tracks he puts out, but in terms of song structure. Instrumentals need to change up a lot in their short duration in order to stay refreshing to the listener. And this track excelled at that. From the time it began to the end, I had one hell of a joy ride. And I went back and listened to it again right after I finished listening to it the first time. Very well done.

Now, the next two songs are 2014 versions of previous songs from somewhere in his discography; while I'm not all too familiar with these songs, it shows a lower quality version of what else was produced on this album. The inserted drum work was decent in Disinfective. It was fairly straightforward, mainly split between two different sections. The first half just working on a simple and effective electronic beat held in by drums, and the second just adding an additional electronic effect to the overall beat.

The Ninth Cycle really served up a well thought out beat. The crunchy effects are present in short bursts of looping hits, while the synth work, keen to trance yet not presented in the overly bouncy and bubbly form, worked well in the back. Another hard hitting song that allowed me to enjoy this EP even more.

And, after the five tracks were done and over with, I liked what I heard mainly coming from Put Your Fucking Masks On II and The Ninth Cycle. While the other three tracks did their job well, I still felt they just couldn't hold up to the sound and hype of those two. Needless to say, well done; check this guy out if you haven't yet. Jul 26 2014