Boris. A band by necessity I dip in and out of for two reasons: Firstly, they are so prolific I can’t keep up, and secondly because they are so eclectic not everything will float my boat. They are simply one of the most restless, relentless musical explorers around. From utter noise with Merzbow to pretty much rock with Ian Astbury and on their own calling at all stations from pop to drone to…well you get the idea. Now their collaborators on this are US industrial noise/electronic/borderline power violence exponents Uniform with whom I have merely a very cursory acquaintance so let’s just say ‘not a clue really’ shall we? I guess I was just expecting harsh…
‘You Are The Beginning’ winds up a raw metallic riff with spattering of electronica and the vocals launch an almost punk/noise attack. Guitars wail and riffs pound in an almost intro style until it hits the accelerator with a weird nod to ‘Paranoid’ in the vocal melody before smashing it with thrashing noise and constant punches. Okay…. speedy, aggressive as hell, metallic and thrashy and grindy. ‘Weaponized Grief’ hits harsher. Squealing noise, ripping vocals and speeding grind styling. ‘No’ is less intense but strangely sharper – varied, duelling vocals with a more skeletal guitar attack.
Then ‘The Look Is A Flame’ and the album takes a turn for the slower, more introspective, almost as though the pressure has been released by those three violent a virulent outbursts. Slow, with droning electronica, but still crashing percussion. Echoing vocals tangle with strangled expressions of venom spat out. ‘The Sinners Of Hell (Jigoku)’ is an unsettling, dark wander through echoing and droning hallways, like a soundtrack to the manga Blame! Oppressive, smothering, endless. ‘Narcotic Shadows’ opens out into synthwave; strident beats, sweeping melodic keyboards, whispered vocals welding earlier Frontline Assembly EBM to a flavouring of Carpenter Brut. The strident, screaming vocals return but the amazing guitar work and smooth electronica leave it behind so easily.
‘A Man From the Earth’ swiftly moves us into almost electro-pop waters. A subdued fuzzy guitar and keyboards, a catchy little melody and clean, sweet vocals almost ‘Pink’ like.
‘Endless Death Agony’ brings us back to where we came in; guitar driven angry and aggressive industrial noise metal with a punk snarl.
‘Not Surprised’ closes out with another layer of thick, slow noise. Think a restrained version of Khanate’s vocals with a more stoner/doom funeral riff, electronica and echoes whispering around the background and beautifully sucking you in. It haunted me well after fading out.
It’s a tricky, twisting and at times twisted beast is Bright New Disease. In places the perfect soundtrack to some of the more hopeless, nightmarish sci-fi manga out there. In others a fast, vicious assault by a hard knuckled punk gang. And then moments of almost dark beauty in the more deeply entrenched in electronica moments. It may not exactly flow, but it is never remotely boring. This is a genuine meeting of minds I think, a full on collaboration that has produced an album of songs that fit together but are difficult to pin down and jolt you out of yourself by the mood swings. The compositions are superb, never boring, and the musicianship and arrangements are just the top tier level.
Jagged, sharp, angry and thoughtful, all in all it’s a bit of a triumph really if you can handle the bumps and twists.
(8.5/10 Gizmo)
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