Release Info:
Artist : Project Void
Album : Enslavement And Death
Genre : Industrial
Label : L. White Records
Catnum : LW 078
Source : CDDA
URL : http://www.discogs.com/Project-Void-Enslavement-And-Death/release/59
Mode Info:
Tracks : 9
Time : 00:43:16
Size : 83.59 MB
Encode : LAME 32bits version 3.98.4 (http://www.mp3dev.org/) -V0
Quality : 255kbps 44100Hz Joint Stereo
Tracklist:
1. Belief I 5:28
2. Egomania 3:51
3. Open (See Me) 4:45
4. Plague 4:38
5. Belief II 4:34
6. Birth 5:03
7. Glory 5:11
8. Bonesaw 5:00
9. Belief III 4:46
43:16 (min)
With Enslavement and Death, Corvus Rex (Fury 161, Black Crow King) unleashes
his second album of hate-filled noise on L. White Records under his Project:
Void moniker. Enslavement and Death continues to work in the aggressive and
hostile territory of his debut, The Anthropogenic Process, which was originally
self-released by Project: Void until Crucial Blast put it out on cassette as
part of the Infernal Machine series. In fact, two of the songs that appeared on
the debut also make an appearance here; æOpen (See Me) and æEgomaniaÆ are
included, though I am not sure if theyÆve been reworked or modified from the
versions on the debut. These two songs fit perfectly into the wall of
misanthropic madness that is Enslavement and Death, which is a seriously thick
cloud of noxious turbulence that continues the artistÆs quest to craft sounds
that capture his hatred for all mankind and the atrocities we knowingly (and
gladly) inflict on the world and its inhabitants. To Corvus Rex, the only good
human isûas the title denotesûeither enslaved or dead, with no middle ground in
between those two extremes.
On Enslavement and Death, Corvus Rex unloads another unrelenting torrent of
harsh and abrasive cannon-fire to get his deep mistrust and contempt for
humanity across. Whatever the exact instrumentation, it matters little as it
all congeals into a smoldering mass of galling and metallic inhumanity. Each
song operates less like a man with some electronic equipment and more like a
finely honed alien killing machine designed with one ultimate purpose: to
enslave then destroy all humans without exception, leaving no trace of their
puny and meaningless existence; to eradicate any evidence that they were ever
here and leave not even one survivor; to let the earth and its creatures
reclaim and heal this once beautiful planet.
Leading the charge of global genocide and directing the machines into the heart
of ultimate carnage is the terrifying voice of Corvus Rex. His vocals are
commanding, painful, and brimming with the authoritative nihilism that is
needed to get the job done. He wails, screams, and moans his way throughout the
album as he orders the complete and total dismantling of all non-natural
structures, lamenting and scorning humanityÆs wasted potential along the way.
When he screams, I can envision Corvus Rex as some hideous, alien tyrant
overseeing the systematic execution of every man, woman, and child on the
planet. Entire cities in flames, mountains crumbling into dust, blood flowing
like water as he lords over the final cataclysm. The screams of Paul Ledney,
the vocalist/multi-instrumentalist of bands such as Havohej and Profanatica,
comes to mind. Even though Project: Void has nothing to do musically with that
extreme metal sub-genre, the two share a gnarly and raspy vocal delivery that
sounds simultaneously powerful and painful in its delivery.
While the music and maniacal vocals do indeed come together to paint an
impressive picture of all-out war and destruction, the hell-bent and extreme
approach to delivery can become simultaneously unnerving and one-dimensional at
times. This is not to say that the actual sounds or methods of attack are
inherently flawedùthatÆs hardly the case hereùbut the songs do tend to resemble
one another too similarly in a way that detracts from the overall experience.
Aside from a few stand-out moments, the songs tend to condense themselves into
a homogenized gelatin wherein it becomes a challenge to pinpoint anything in
particular across the span of the entire album.
Even though Project: Void mostly deals with musical genres that assert
themselves in such a way as to be so genuinely extreme, it doesnÆt necessarily
mean that there isnÆt the ability or opportunity to create room to breathe
within the claustrophobic barrage. On the contrary, some of the best power
electronics/noise albums have more going on underneath everything than just
howling screams and torturous noise. For instance, take the excellent 2013
release Womb Worship from label-mate Human Larvae, and youÆll find, amongst the
intense panic of harsh vocals and dissonant noise, plenty of spaciousness and
unsettling ambience that allows the album a deeper and idiosyncratic sense of
movement and contrast, even as it remains betrothed to the power electronics
genre. ItÆs a wonderful example of intense music and disturbing imagery that
evokes a deeper sense of atmosphere and mystery, even as it scrapes the skin
from your bones.
Opening track ôBelief Iö is one of those songs that manages to step forward
from the rest of the pack. It begins with a rather nice chiming of church bells
before moving into a subdued flow of humming electronics that develop into a
jarring piece of voiceless explosions. The track is successful chiefly because
it operates without haste in building up to something more clamorous and
intense. Instead of blasting outright at full throttle, it lets itself slowly
transform from something peaceful into something much more monstrous and
insatiable.
ôGloryö is another perfect example of how Corvus Rex surely has the ability to
work a track for maximum benefit. An eerie vocal sample and military snare
march introduce the basic structure of the track as it continues to grow into
an all-out battle of destructive war sound samples and musical bloodshed. Much
like ôBelief Iö, it also chooses the slower path in how the song develops and
grows into something much more than its humble beginning. These tracks show
Corvus Rex displaying his smarts and skill within his chosen field; they work
extremely well and itÆs my desire to see more of this skillfulness at work on
future Project: Void releases.
In spite of some minor shortcomings, Enslavement and Death is an intense
listening experience with loads of immense power behind it and should be
listened to with the knowledge that it will do its best work when it is
pummeling you into dust, so listen loud. Corvus Rex certainly sticks to his
guns on this one and doesnÆt shirk away from Project: VoidÆs intentions or
desire to punish all of humanity. HeÆs started that grim task of
all-encompassing annihilation by crafting an album of pure and unwavering
hostility.