Band: Agoraphobic Nosebleed
Title: Altered States Of America
Label: Relapse Records
Distribution: Rough Trade
Release date: 17/10/2008
Review: 3”MCD + bonus-MCD

Agoraphobic Nosebleed, one of the projects Scott Hull is involved with, is known for its floating, peaceful, mesmerizing hymns… not! Altered States Of America is divided into ninety nine titles with a total running time of just twenty minutes. The very short tracks (most of them have duration of four to fifteen seconds!) are in the well-known style: agora-sonic Blast/Grind/Splatter/Noise with elements from Punk and Industrial. Groups of songs form separate concepts, but always with the well-known approach: brutality! Ultra-Mosh for the sweet Grind in each of us! The bonus-MCD lasts a little longer (21:07 minutes) and consists of remixes by Delta 9, an Industrial/Electronics/Hardcore artist from Chicago. The inspiration comes from a split-release by Merzbow and Gore Beyond Necropsy, Rectal Anarchy. These acid-collages have nothing to do with Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s Splatter / Grindcore, except for the absurdity and the extremity. This material is sick, ultra-violent and psychopathically morbid (which also goes for the different samples).

71/100

Ivan Tibos.