meth. "Mother of Red Light"

meth.

“Mother of Red Light”

This is some uneasy listening, courtesy of Chicago, where pushing the limit is an art form. meth. is not a band for those who like what are commonly referred to as “songs”. This is harsh, grating and twisted all the way through and created for exactly that purpose.

I gather the album revolves around a concept. A mental case who believes he is God starts a new religion and apparently wants to burn the world down to the ground. Fun for all the family here. meth. combines industrial noise and soundscapes with extremely harsh and distorted guitar based music. Tracks like “Fill Me” and “The Walls, They Whisper” start quietly, almost imperceptibly, and then hit with skree and skronk before screaming shouts and atonal guitar comes flying in like a dove doused in gasoline and set on fire.

It works to a certain extent but it does get old. This kind of caterwauling rarely sustains itself over the course of a whole album and when the 11-minute plus “The Walls, They Whisper” ends with about five minutes of uninterrupted cacophony, you will be glad to take your leave of “Mother of Red Light”. Psychotic music for a very specific crowd which really does not include me. Pick up if you’re ready for sonic pain and suffering.

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