P.H.O.B.O.S. – Bleaker Beater (Album – Megaton Mass Products)
Genre/influences: Industrial, Experimental, Electronic.
Format: Digital, 2CD.
Background/info: Parisian (France) duo Frederic Sacri – Mani Ann-Sitar are active under the P.H.O.B.O.S. moniker for more than twenty years now. They by the end of 2021 released their newest opus “Bleaker Beater”.
Content: The main disc reveals an Industrial sound, which sometimes reminds me of the 80s Industrial years. Percussion passages together with the global, hostile atmosphere evoke to me the magic universe of SPK. It’s an Electronic composition featuring heavy, blasting sound treatments with vocals on top. Other songs are more Experimental-sounding and into Noise, which might appeal for early Orphx lovers.
The second disc reveals the same tracks, but without vocals. There’s just a few seconds of difference in the duration of the cuts.
+ + + : “Bleaker Beater” is a great Industrial driven composition. It reminds me of legendary Industrial projects, but with an extra contemporary touch on top. This is a judicious mix between retro-Industrial elements, Power-Noise and Experimental music. The beginning of the work is mind-blowing. I also want to say a word about the great digipak artwork.
– – – : The second disc doesn’t really bring a bonus. I think there could be better things to do than simply releasing instrumental edits.
Conclusion: “Bleaker Beater” sounds in the good-old tradition of Industrial music and is an album I recommend to all fans of the genre.
Best songs: “Haemophiliac Stomp”, “Pyrocene Antibodies”, “Basalt Ganglia”, “Granulahar Toxin”
Rate: 8.
Listen to “Bleaker Beater”:
Artist & label: www.phobosdrone.org / www.facebook.com/phobosindustrial
About P.H.O.B.O.S.
P.H.O.B.O.S. was formed in Paris (France) in 2000 by Frederic Sacri, who handles distortion, keys, pulse, vocals, production and mixing. The project started as a four-piece and mixes industrial, drone, doom, death and black metal with dub and electronics.
The discography runs from “Proto” (2001) through “Tectonics” (2005), “Anœdipal” (2008), “Atonal Hypermnesia” (2012), “Triunity” (2014), “श्मशान काली” (2015) and “Phlogiston Catharsis” (2018) to “Bleaker Beater” at the end of 2021. Recording takes place at the project’s own Sapel Lomor studio, and releases are handled by Megaton Mass Products.
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