Listening to “an unnerving excavation of ill health and Catholic guilt” in musical form doesn’t sound like a whole load of fun, but without going into the detail this album does reflect the personal experience of the vocalist, and as we know psychological states can make good fodder for atmospheric and creatively disturbed output. “Shame” is the second album by meth., following “Mother of Red Light” four years ago.
We start with the vibe of a chain gang. Monotone drumming accompanies disturbed, heavy noise, becoming minimalist momentarily with the isolated sound of a guitar before plodding on as before. From “Doubt” we go to “Compulsion”. The sound is once again apocalyptic and psychologically disturbing. Echoing, “Compulsion” is heavy, descending industrial noise without progress. By “Blush” I was getting the impression that this was all variations on a theme, which it is really. “Blush” is born of angst and suffering. Musically it is black, dep and heavy. At one point it heads off anarchically and chaotically – again it fits the subject matter. Slowing down into dark contemplation, it cranks downwards again into a distorted world of self-torture and despair and culminates with doomy drums and deep roars. A drone runs through “Give In”. That drum beats ominously. A distant voice shrieks in agony. Big chords resound. The heavy tones mirror the agony. Progress is lumbering and the mood is stiflingly oppressive but there are some good sound effects and a powerful build-up to finish and create the image of mounting tension and an inevitable breaking point.
Discordance and deathly confusion then characterise “Cruelty”, another weighty tome in this book of suffering. This world is very black indeed. The dismal chant which starts the title track breaks down ana all manner of chaos is reached. Cleverly, the chanted cries are in the background like a lone voice trying to break through the torture. Meanwhile the instrumentalists, led by the drummer, evoke weighty images of disorder and catastrophe. A monotonous rhythm strikes up, but with echoing voices and a sinister droning surround sound. It’s all designed to instil fear. The song progresses like a death march or a thumping headache. The vocalist screams desperately. True to what has gone before, the laboured tones of “Blackmail” represent the sounds of torture and suffering. Doom-like in its style and ending with constant hammering amid a fuzzy drone, it’s the final act of despair and oppression.
As a piece of music, “Shame” is atmospheric and psychologically disturbing. There is no respite. Whilst along the same lines, meth. employ interesting patterns to reinforce their message. This is music without hope. Thanks to its creators, this album is effective in parading its theme from beginning to end, and in creating the vision of total suffering and imprisonment in a bleak and black head space.
(7/10 Andrew Doherty)
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