CINEMA CINEMA: Man Bites Dog: CD

May 31, 2017

This is like jumping into a ball pit at a sci-fi convention, only all the balls are freakish little orbs with eyes—murderous spheres from Phantasm, and Lament Configurations from Hellraiser—all the while lasers and smoke machines are going off. Listening to this record is chilling and dread-inducing, but you can’t turn away from it. Alongside those feelings of unchecked anxiety are alluring mysteries to uncover. I feel the same way with this record as I do the Blade Runner soundtrack. Am I making more movie references than music ones because of their band name? Probably. But it’s seriously like an audio version of Videodrome with a strong affinity for The Refused. I mean, there’s so much chaos going on here that it’s difficult to really capture it in a review. Hardcore break downs, speed metal guitars, creepy soundscapes, brutal vocals, evil laughter, saxophone, and more are there for the taking. I haven’t felt this ill at ease since I walked through a WWII air raid shelter alone in the tunnels of Cardiff Keep in Wales. My advice is if you can’t handle things that go bump in the night, don’t attempt this—even in the daylight. It’s art rock made by Cenobites and it fucking rules. All of this from a two-piece band is real impressive. Plus their album art is some of the most beautiful I’ve seen in a long while. –Kayla Greet (Dullest, Labelship)

 

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