Thirdorgan - Satanico Pandemonium

Shit, a Noise Album. How the fuck am I meant to review a genre in which I don't have significant interest? I've heard a fair bit of the stuff, but little really leaves me feeling warm after wards.

Thirdorgan are Japanese. At least he has that going for him. I can name more Japanese Noise projects than you ever want to hear. Masonna.Left me cold. Merzbow. Interesting but there's no way I will even attempt to hear all his stuff. Gerogerigegege. Utter Shite. Robochanman. Brutal, and Decent. Not to mention Japan's ultra obscure, stupidly minimal Sukora.

I digress; at least Thirdorgan come from the home of musical sledgehammers. Can't say I want to hear this though.

Anyway, Satanico Pandemonium is Thirdorgan's ten millionth release (or something) and is on the new and increasingly popular Dead Sea Liner record label. Various other sources tell me that Thirdorgan is actually one of the most popular noise bands on the circuit. I'm not sure what a Sexorcista is, but I definitely don't want to hear come shots again. I had enough of those in Hilter's 'Sex Films' album.

The album starts off ok. The intro is a somewhat cliched sample, 'When there's no more room in Hell, the Dead will walk the earth', is looped, over an increasingly violent sample, before Lucifer comes out of the speakers and inserts 3 burning pokers into your nostrils. Nice rhythmic assaults, static torrents of fury, and no sexual noises. I still have memories of the time I listened to Cock and Ball Torture.

There is some seriously wonderful stuff going on here though, unpredictable synthetic squeaks, feedback, before the terror drops to a silent halt and we hear what sounds like an 8-bit arcade machine, with typical funfair computer noises. I can almost vision Angelina Jolie in 'Hackers', sat at the terminal chain-smoking cloves, possessed by the bastard spirit of a Balrog from Moria. My Brain is fucked.

In fact the album is quite true to the standards of many Japanoise bands. 4 out of 5 songs clock in at less than 5 minutes in length, and the other one is a 22 minute bastard display of formidable hatred, torment, and the death throes of a hideous snake, coiling up and hissing it's venom with potent incipit intensity.

Let's not forget the totally out of place and well thought-out quieter moments, several bizarre, almost erotic samples weave throughout here.

This; as Noise CD's go is significantly better than any other I have cared to hear, (Except maybe Control and its bastard offspring, Exsanguinate). All things considered though, I still cannot say I absolutely love it, and I doubt I will be playing it many times in the future. Noise fans however will certainly, certainly enjoy this.

Despite the confusing titles, and lack of sexual references, this is easily one of the best Noise album's of 2006, and it beats its only real contender 'Poland's 'Brandkommando'.

Enjoy if you can. Oct 03 2006