INFORM

1. "Silencer" (7:48) surprising Berlin School sequencing and lush strings "orchestration" over the first half is then replaced by a more industrial groove for the final three minutes. With Battlestation's usual heart-wrenching chord progressions . . . the "strings" and synth washes in the background are incredible. (13.75/15)

2. "Steeper Angles" (5:35) is like an industrial ambient wash of Brian Eno's "and Julie with"--but then it goes all Blade Runner! Awesome! (9/10)

3. "Carbon" (5:10) sounds as if the first half of Genesis's song "Duchess" had been taken through a meat grinder and turned inside out--and then, in the second half of the song, it turns Gymnopedienne (+ meat grinder). Beautiful! (9.5/10)

4. "Relapse" (6:46) is a kind of play or variation on one of the beautiful motifs from Vixit. Considering its source material, this can never be a bad idea. (13/15)

5. "Wavering" (6:26) opens with an introductory section of more futuristic, Vangelis-like, industrial sounds (non-percussive). After the 90-second mark, this switches to a steadily-driving juggernaut of multiple threads woven together gorgeously. At the end of the fourth minute a harp-like arpeggio joins in just before a powerful trip-hoppy drum program takes us into outer space. Awesome keyboard work on all layers here. Song ends with central chord progression of synth washes slowly fading out. Excellent! Maybe my favorite songs on this album. (10/10)

6. "L'abîme" (6:08) opens with a lot of "pond water"--music that sets up a mood, maybe an image, but doesn't seem to be going anywhere. (How does one do this?) It's not until the 2:30 mark that the camera begins a slow walk through the park. It's beautiful--even if my fever and dizziness is making everything shimmery and unsteady. "If you listen for long enough, you don't know whether what you're hearing is silence, or whether there's some kind of underlying sound, in the distance..." speaks the garbled gravelly voice as the song nears its end. The abysm. (8.5/10)

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of ambient Post Rock progressive rock music.

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