Pillbox

There's something to be said about powerviolence bands that put out LP's. Powerviolence is, at its core, an art of brevity. It functions best in small increments, 45's, splits, cassettes, lathe cuts. For that reason, very few powerviolence full lengths are held with the acclaim showered on their shorter brethren.  Outside of the first Man Is The Bastard album, no one really gives a shit.

So, when I decided to review Pillbox, the debut LP by New York New York's grindviolence trio Water Torture, I was less then enthused. But fuck me was I wrong. Pillbox is a great album that captures the essence of the band and the crushing despair of working-class urban life.

This album is dynamic in a way that very few PV albums are. Sure, a big part of it is fuzzed out, low-end, hateful grindviolence, best exemplified by tracks like "Massive Regression", there's a lot more going on with this album.

Pieces of pure noise are present on every track, greatly enhancing the overall tone of the album. Whether it is the intro, fantastic album closer "Product 2," or the noise ending every track, it chokes the listener with human fat and distinctly industrial despair. The whole album conjures some of the most bitter auditory hate I've ever heard. It sounds like dust-bowl suicides, crying children chained to work benches. It can be crushing.

One track is a total curve ball, however. "Creature of Repetition" is a three-minute experimental rock jam similar to late-era Swans or Codeine. It's an out there track for a PV band, and its inclusion is welcome.

If you're interested in depressive, hopeless, hardcore. Check this out. But be warned, it's pungent.

http://nervealtar.bandcamp.com/album/pillbox