Jarboe + Justin K Broadrick - J2 (The End Records) Founding member of Napalm Death, Justin Broadrick and vocalist, Jarboe - in the past a collaborator with the likes of Swans, Neurosis and Blixa Bargeld - explore how preconceptions of beauty and intrinsic ugliness can be juxtaposed or deconstructed to either reverse their positions or create new perceptions of either. Within it’s boundaries where beauty could be considered the use of acoustic instrumentation and the trained voice, and the electronic it’s pole opposite, Jarboe and Broadrick manipulate beauty and embellish chaos. To exemplify, the opener, “Decay” sets an a-capella, ghostly wail over barrage of slow distortion resulting in something as poetic as the ancient sound of clanging commercial barges in a disused canal. “Let Go”’s slow funereal drum leads a vocal performance which mutates and fluctuates rapidly between unadulterated and frazzled death mantra, here a less abrasive guitar segues into muted horns. “Tribal Limo”, which as it’s name may suggest is a drum driven track which culminates in shamanic, tortured howls of the possessed and is set to a gothic bass thrum. Elsewhere can be heard, what can only be considered knowingly inappropriate 80’s synth sounds, which could make or break the tracks where they’re placed. Enigmatic and powerful performances, without too much pace. www.theendrecords.com Will F. Next