A confusing tornado of intensity.

Noise music is one of the most polarizing genres in the music industry. It turns away new and avid listeners alike. The lack of structure and melody begs the question, “Is it even music?” For Japanese-based artist, Merzbow, the answer is yes. He is one of the pioneers in Noise music and released some of the genre’s most popular albums. The most infamous of them being Pulse Demon. It has been hailed and criticized by fans and critics alike. Pitchfork gave it a rating of 8.7 and comedically said it “will slaughter innocent orphans in a fraction of a second.” Bastard Noise is another notable figure in noise music who creates similar music to Merzbow and pushes the boundaries of what we call “music” further.

The sounds of Bastard Noise and Merzbow are so similar that it is a no-brainer as to why they would team up on RETRIBUTION OF ALL OTHER CREATURES. So, how does it sound? Well, like you would expect it to sound. Each song is so scattered, loud and intense that it can be difficult to pick apart what to highlight and what to criticize. To start the album, the duo opens with a quiet buzzing to ease you into the song. The next 65 minutes are a full attack on your ears. The shrieking of microphone feedback and banging of instruments will make you feel like you’re caught in the middle of a hurricane of noise. In a weird way, this album serves as a great way to clear your mind. It feels like the intensity will never end until the closing of the last track.

RETRIBUTION OF ALL OTHER CREATURES is an unreal listening experience. Like the genre it falls under, it pushes the boundaries of what it means to “listen to music.” The duo does a great job at making you question all prenotions you have of art and music in general. Listening to RETRIBUTION OF ALL OTHER CREATURES is a good choice if you are tired of listening to the same music repeatedly and need a challenge.