EXTINCTION LEVEL

After I reviewed the most recent release by Anchor & Burden, 'Afterglow', I mentioned to Alexander Paul Dowerk (Touch Guitars S8) that I had not heard the previous album, which is why I am now listening to their 2024 release, 'Extinction Level' He did also say, "It's for sure some of the most uncomfortable and brutal music out there. You are stronger than most humans!" so I knew I was in for an interesting listen. He is of course joined by Markus Reuter (Touch Guitars AU8 and S8, Soundscapes), Bernhard Wöstheinrich (keyboards and electronics), and Asaf Sirkis (drums and percussion), and the quartet have set out to create music which is not only jagged and heavy, but refuses to conform to any preconceived ideas of what the end result should be like, apart from it being avant garde and incredibly powerful.

This is music which holds no hope or light for those lucky enough to come across it, as this is deep and passionate, jagged and abrasive, a horror show for the ears and the mind follows, creating images which once seen cannot be forgotten. Goblin may have made a name for themselves with the stunning soundtrack to 'Suspiria', but this is on a totally different level with far more menace and music which is coarse and harsh, ripping into the ears as a grater would make mince out of an arm. It is not supposed to be pleasant, it is not supposed to be middle of the road radio pap, but instead is music which is deliberately challenging, asking questions of ourselves as listeners, whether we are mature enough to take on board what is being presented, where we have to decide whether we can find comfort in the extreme, or if our brains find we cannot make sense of it at all. When music has no limits, no boundaries, there is no safe place for the listener to hang onto, and when musicians as skilled and tuned into each other as these, the only thing to do is put this on repeat until nothing else exists, nothing else matters. It is meant to be challenging, it is meant to be extreme, and needs to be heard ? yet another incredible release from Anchor & Burden.

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