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U-731 - By All Means...
Infect10

Simultaneously the debut and swan song for this California based project of Gordon Lazarus, known previously for his work as Defiler and soon to be United Front. For "By All Means...", we find him continuing the path laid down by his previous project, only upping the paranoia and abject sense of hopelessness and negativity. Make no bones about it, this is a bleak release, and it’s no surprise he’s employed the services of like-minded roster mates John Stillings of Steel Hook Prostheses and Andy Grant of The Vomit Arsonist. The sound is not all that dissimilar to either act, only this seems to slow everything down to an even more morose level (if that’s possible), where distortion drenched waves of morbid frequencies waft underneath layers of gristle and murky atmospheres. Drowsy, lethargic voices and samples drift in and out of the mix, gaining momentum as it segues into more demented and antagonistic realms, the intensity ratcheted up as the tones become more sinister and agitated. Near the end, as Grant makes his appearance in both F.E.M.A. Care and By All Means, this reaches a near boiling point, before ending in the final moments of Suo Gan/Last Rights, where an angelic chorus is offset by the resonating sounds of explosives and deep reverberations. In 4 panel digipak, mastered by Steel Hook Audio and designed by Mories/Gnaw Their Tongues. Lmtd 500 copies.“Flawless...nominees for album of the year rarely come this early…you needed to get this yesterday”. 10/10 Traumatic State WebzineCertainly ‘By All Means…’ is a full realised, expertly executed and genre refined recording which is also one of the strongest debut albums issued in recent memory (noting that Shock Frontier’s debut of 2013 – reviewed here – holds a similar accolade). Noise Receptor“…can three atmospheric greats combine together to make one of the most bleak, depressing, and terrifying soundscapes of all time? The simple answer would be yes” The Grim Tower" “By All Means…” reveals an impressive merge of influences, creating a devastating, tormenting, but oh so brilliant evil opus. " Side-line"By All Means… stands as nothing short of a masterpiece, and as both the first and the unfortunate last album to be created under the name U-731, it oozes with suffocating atmosphere ..." 10/10 Heathen Harvest

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