Noise music is not for everyone. Noise music that sounds like an army of blood-thirsty sewer rats screaming and fighting over the mangled stump of your firstborn’s leg while a homeless guy vomits uncontrollably into a flaming trashcan nearby is definitely not for everyone. But if that’s the type of noise that gets you going, then Wolf Eyes is your new favorite band.
Their fifth studio release, Human Animal, picks up right where 2004’s Burned Mind left off - in a claustrophobic hell hole, soundtracking your worst nightmares, essentially. Wolf Eyes scares the crap out of me. And I love it.
Noise is still such a misunderstood and under-rated genre of music. How does one measure the success of a noise record? I’ve always struggled with this, so I base my assessment of a noise record on two very important questions: 1) does the noise sound as though it were carefully orchestrated and planned, or is it just diarrhea of the laptop? 2) is the noise obnoxiously loud, disturbing, new and/or different from anything I’ve heard previously?
Wolf Eyes’ new album receives a resounding ‘yes’ to both questions, so I know this is quality stuff. But quality does not mean that this is a record you should take out of its sleeve and jam on a sunny Sunday morning (unless you’ve been up all night). It should be reserved for times when you want to be blown away in a very harsh and frightening way, and those days just don’t come very often. You wouldn’t want to have a terrible nightmare every night, would you? Listening to Wolf Eyes on a daily basis is the equivalent to that. With teeth.
The album rises to a slow crescendo of terror. Each track is like a scenario that you have to battle through in order to reach the final, culminating track, “The Driller.” If you are brave enough to live “A Million Years” so that you can wade through the “Lake of Roaches,” if you can survive the “Rationed Riot” and face the “Human Animal,” if you can withstand the “Rusted Mange” and then go on to do battle in the “Leper War” - if you can do all of that then I applaud you. Because this isn’t easy listening, people.
The songs are omnipotent, atmospheric and just plain scary enough to create their own reality around you, and it’s your job to make it through. Sonically, you’re in for a treat. There’s more talent in this band than anyone knows what to do with. Many would say this is not “talent” at all. But noise music is underground. It’s a sub-sub-culture, way off any sane person’s radar. It’s an art, and therefore it is a craft. It takes talent to do it right. Make no mistake - there is badly made noise music out there. But it’s not on this record. Wolf Eyes owns this genre, but take them in small doses. For your own sanity.
Release date: September 26, 2006
Record Label: Subpop
Rating: 7/10
14 Comments »
Amber wins the “Best First Paragraph Ever” prize.
sweet. what do i win? slowdive vinyl?!
your review was marvelous and brilliant enough to let me know that this is not an album i would like. the list of song titles alone…”lake of roaches?” “leper war?”
noise music is not my genre, i suppose. so you just saved me money - now i won’t have to shell out for this one. thanks!
it’s safe to say that 99.9% of the population would dislike wolf eyes intensely. hell, when i saw them live, i was so freaked out i had to step outside for a breather. like three times.
it’s crazy shit, man.
noise is people too. well written, but i still think wolf eyes is a novelty act. saw them open for sonic youth four years ago and it was way too manly for me. absolutely nothing delicate or varied in their sound at the time. like slayer or wagner with noise pedals. big and loud and dumb. after a few hours i found myself wishing the ceiling would fall on them. not good.
no, noise music like this is definitely not for everyone. approach with caution unless you enjoy hellish rhythms being repeated ad nauseum and/or cutting yourself. this means you, joie.
Where is DJ? How is there a review of a noise-rock band that has seven comments and none of them are from DJ?
I will have to listen to this album.
Noise is not people. SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE.
Wolf Eyes is not a noise-rock band. They are a noise band. And yes, there is a difference.
Hi everybody!
DJ is right! Wolf Eyes always gets lumped in the \\\”noise rock\\\” category, but they are straight up noise. There is actually a difference. Noise rock still has a recognizable melody and structure with noises and experimental crap thrown in. Noise is just NOISE (although there is always a method to the madness, even in noise). Another good example of a noise band is Merzbow, if anybody knows who they are. Noisy, yo.
Kick ass review, Amber! Wolf Eyes is so intriguing not for its accessibility, but for having the gall to make ‘music’ that leaves you sore. A bonus: if you don’t have candy for the kids on Halloween, put a speaker in your window, play Wolf Eyes, and go hide in a sound-proof room - no one will come near your house, and you will be left in peace.
Great review of a beautifully fucked and downright thrilling album. Another measure of its success is how much it sounds like an evolution from what they were doing on Burned Mind, not just a retread.
hi amber!
This is ben, i met you at the final fantasy show and we both know ian somehowwwwwwwwwwwoow…anywhos i liked your review and i though you might wanna read the review i wrote of human animal for the site i write for
http://www.urbanpollution.com/music/wolf_eyes/works/human_animal
what’s up, ben? i read your review….very cool! i’ll be checking out your site in the future….glad you stopped by superstarcastic!
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Comment by literati — November 29, 2006 @ 3:34 pm
That first paragraph reminds me that I was supposed to bring in my 7000 Dying Rats CD today, but didn’t…