Metalux
Victim Of Space
(5 Rue Christine)
Sometimes I hear a release that simply makes me question what a label was thinking when they decided to spend the money to not only print out all the artwork and CDs for a certain release, but put the effort into marketing and promoting said release. Victim Of Space is one of those releases, and after listening to it several times, I still find myself arriving at a big question mark when trying to come up with a quality about it that I would actually enjoy listening to.
Metalux is a group that has released several albums so far, including efforts on Hanson (known for their noise) and Load (also known for their loudness) Records. Let me state that I have nothing against noise or loud releases in general (in fact, I quite enjoy me some Lightning Bolt, etc), but there has to be something else besides those two factors to trip my trigger. Metalux creates a very harsh environment of distorted programmed beats, heavily-feedbacked guitars, and swirling maelstroms of blown-out synths. Alongside this, they add delayed vocals that sound influenced by dub-rock, resulting in a scorched-earth landscape of noise.
Opening track "The Rim" opens with some skittery 8-bit electronics, layers of feedback and delayed vocals that all blend together for what is probably one of the more effective tracks on the album due to its eerie sparse reflections. From there, the group lets things pummel, as "Sunny Krakow" squeals loops of lo-fi noise and gritty guitars over kicked-mule low-end and more megaphone versus dub vocals. "Accomplice" follows with much of the same, as it unloads over nearly five minutes of mostly formless feedback rumbles and oscillator-dial noise.
About halfway through the album, the group drops "Tremor Loss," and they again start to actually explore some unique territory by stripping things down a bit. After that, though, it's back into the onslaught of chunky lo-fi riffage loops and bizarre vocal effects, as formless pieces wander and stumble like Groovebox experiments on acid. Like Wolf Eyes, Metalux is definitely an acquired taste. Actually, if one could imagine Wolf Eyes colliding violently with Mu, it might sound something like Metalux. Are you adventurous?
Rating: 3
