Empty Churches is a creeping, bloody, chaotic mess of a sound document and I loved every minute of it.
When reviewing a noise album I normally attempt to get a feel for the concept, for what the record is supposed to tell us, if anything. The concept of Empty Churches is free-form and loose, very catholic, we're left very unsure as to whether or not an empty church is a good thing.
The soundscapes, however, leave no room for questions about their quality, as they're absolutely stellar.
father begins with the sound of a diseased organ accompanied by high-pitched drones and what appears to be faded, stretched-out samples. The sounds stop suddenly and transition into a more Merzbow-influenced harsh-noise style, with added melodic accompaniment by a church organ. The track ends with slightly out of place, spacey, ambient synth noise.
son is much quieter, more contemplative. The organs is more up front, presenting a dreadful, echoing melody. The track ends with metallic scraping and decaying, spidery ambiance.
The album concludes with holy ghost, a more pedestrian take on harsh-noise. Still, it is not without its merit. The tones are interesting, the synthwork almost impossibly gloomy.
This is noise-makers noise, created with immense craft and textural beauty. I highly recommend you take the time to download.
