Scratch And Sniff Entertainment : 2008
Format : LP

My previous exposure to HOTD was the split with Fire In The Head earlier this year. I enjoyed that release a lot so I looked forward to spinning this one when the package arrived and wasn’t disappointed. The first thing I noticed was the amazing cover art done by Mr. Stonefelt himself. The cover reminds me of René Lalouxs’ work on Fantastic Planet and is the perfect companion to the sound inside.

As side A’s “Raising The New Wing” begins the sub-bass rumble of a distant factory begins to rise. This slowly builds to something more sinister as speaker destroying low end blasts and rattles. The chaos subsides for a bit and demonic screams enter the mix. An I-beam being drug across a giant spring. A steel bar against your skull. A contact mic shoved in the exhaust of a 67 Dodge Charger. Scraping metal and vibrating steel bounce around the room for almost a full 15 minutes.

“Braided Industry” on side B is more of the same. The track starts off with a sound like the crank of a service elevator over more deep crumbling bass. There are some processed vocals down in the mix, but they only serve as another sound source. More steel mill chaos and a distant scream. The cranking noise begins to make me feel a little uneasy. I like it. It’s like being lowered into the heart of a blast furnace sealed in some enormous metal bell.

The insert says all the sounds are processed acoustic sources. That I believe, but what he does with them is amazing. For fans of projects like Blue Sabbath Black Cheer, this is mandatory. The LP comes with an insert and a larger print of the cover image suitable for framing. Highly recommended.

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