Saturday, January 30, 2010

(V.E.G.A.) - Alienforest - A Sick Mind's Hologram (2008) [Limited Edition]

This album gives us a more BM-oriented V.E.G.A. than what appeared on "Cocaine". The BM template the band follows is very aggressive and speedy with a strong guitar sound and a deranged air. The grim vocals aren't always clear and are often in danger of receding into the noisy music in the manner of US band Njiqahdda, sort of like dissipating into dust and spreading into the harsh noisy music. When the V.E.G.A. guys go off the beaten track, the music does tend to fall into near-disco mode but the non-BM pieces in the second half of the track show demonstrate less interest in dancey rhythms and more interest in creating atmosphere and experimenting with elements of sound, like tone and texture. "Cocaine" (the album) might have had more shocks and surprises, and the history lesson on "Alienforest - A Sick Mind's Hologram" may be full-on and chaotic but you may be hard pressed to find a more intriguing demonstration of a band's development and growth from a purely BM stance to one embracing an open attitude to different kinds of sound experimentation.