Artist: AntiMozdeBeast
Album: The Ritual
Label: Independent
Release Date: 23/04/2021
Country: United States
We take a look at AntiMozdeBeast‘s upcoming offering The Ritual, which is set for independent release on April 23rd, in partnership with Black Lodge PR.
AntiMozdeBeast is a solo project from Florida that was formed in 2019 by its sole member Gabriel Palacio. The project plays with a fusion of a number of genres including experimental electronic, industrial metal, noise and extreme metal influences. Since its inception, the project has released a number of albums and EPs, with this latest offering following the 2020 EP The Edge, The Outskirts, And The Mountain.
I guarantee that this is not your standard industrial metal and will not be what you are expecting based on the description of genres that I gave above. While Gabriel claims to have drawn influence from legendary acts such as NIN, Rob Zombie, Skinny Puppy and CygnosiC, there is so much more at play here. There’s a truly chaotic energy in the mix here. Energy is actually a word that should be discussed in more detail, because that’s what this album is, pure energy. The pulsing beat never stops moving, there’s never a moment without some form of auditory stimulation and the songs are perpetually changing and shifting. This album is far less accessible than the music of the above-mentioned acts.
There is very little melody in the release to offer respite to the listener. Actually, I take that back, there is plenty of melody, in fact there are numerous rhythms and melodies, all overlapping and fighting against each other simultaneously. They seem as if they are all vying for your attention, demanding it and yet you cannot give it to them all. This leaves you with two choices, spread your attention between these elements and burn out or try to focus on individual elements and take those in fully. This is the listeners choice with the release, and it makes for a challenging listen. However, if you take up this challenge and take the album in fully you will be handsomely rewarded.
You’ll find a strange duality on the album that’s hard to explain. While the distorted and pained vocals on the album and the assaulting mix of electronic and instrumental elements push you away, there is something there that draws you in. There is something present in the music that demands your attention, and that demand is palpable. It’s almost as if the album wants to be understood and something at the heart of it longs for it so intensely that you as a listener can feel its pull. Be warned though, this album is a lot to take on and could cause stress or anxiety to the listener in the same way that acts such as Agoraphobic Nosebleed or The Berzerker do. Overstimulation is a very real thing, and this album puts you at high risk of it. This is not a direction to avoid listening to the album, the opposite in fact, I encourage everyone to listen to this album, just be prepared for what you are facing if you do.
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