By: Dominic Walsh
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 08/06/2018
Label: Sacred Bones Records
Mental Wounds Not Healing” is a phenomenally heavy 27 minutes of
music. Throughout the seven tracks, there are some extremely harsh vocals,
mountainous droning guitar riffs and glitchy distorted beats. This record is well worth your time if you
like having your boundaries of music tested.
“Mental Wounds Not Healing” DD//LP track listing:
1). Dead River
2). The Curse of Eternal Life
3). Come and See
4). The Boy With Death in His Eyes
5). In My Skin
6). We Have Always Lived in the Castle
7). Empty Comforts
The Review:
With a title taken from an Ozzy Osbourne lyric (“Crazy
Train”), Uniform and The Body have
joined forces for a collaboration that pushes both bands far beyond their roots
in industrial music and metal - creating an immersive listening experience that
truly transcends genre.
“Mental Wounds Not Healing”
is a phenomenally heavy 27 minutes of music. Throughout the seven tracks, there
are some extremely harsh vocals, mountainous droning guitar riffs and glitchy
distorted beats. Think NIN, Einstürzende Neubauten, Sunn
0))) and bits of Ministry mixed together
with Pharmakon and Blanck Mass.
It’s a complete maelstrom of industrial noise throughout.
Most
of the song titles are culled from horror literature and cinema. “The Boy With Death In His eyes” is a
particular highlight at the midpoint of the album. The beat is more orthodox,
and the distorted synthesizers and guitars that accompany the beat create a
dark, tension filled backdrop to the despairing vocals.
“In My Skin”
contains a particularly unnerving screaming sound throughout the entire track,
but the track also contains one of the most notable guitar melodies that spins
its web around more twisted and distorted noise. As you disappear down the hole
of this track, the ending of the track feels almost serene against many other
parts of the song, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is full of lush
melodies! “Dead River” also has the
same screaming motif that runs throughout the track. It takes you wonderfully
out of your comfort zone.
“We Have Always Lived in a
Castle” is pure drone. “Empty Comforts” and “The
Curse of Eternal Life” are the most NIN style moments on
the album as the electronic beats are clear and punchy, but the former really
lacks any kind of recognisable rhythm; like a heartbeat with no real idea of
what it is doing. The guitars again convene towards the end of “Empty Comforts” to show that this
collaboration is not simply about making a glorious racket; there is melody
rooted deep within this album – you just have to have the endurance to stick
around to find it. “Mental Wounds Not
Healing” is well worth your time if you like having your boundaries of
music tested.
“Mental
Wounds Not Healing” is available here
