The 50 second long "Cycle Godess" opens this record with an acrid,
smoking roar that brings to mind Davie Allan fronting the Ramones. The
energy never lets up; High Rise may be heavy, but they're never sluggish.
Drummer Ujiie batters out primal rhythms and ultra-dense fills under
Nanjo's cruelly thrashed bass lines, while Narita grinds out visceral
rhythm chords and flailing wah-wah guitar leads that lash the songs with
the enthusiasm of a dominatrix who is being paid double time. Nanjo doesn't
sing so much as spit out words like an angel dust-stoked prizefighter
expectorating his own loose teeth. With titles like "Wipe Out" and "Last
Rights," good cheer evidently isn't high on his list. But his voice is so
bathed in echo that it's hard to tell in what language he's singing, let
alone what he's saying.
Nowadays it's hard to find rock music that isn't a
sad self-parody; High Rise never come across as a joke because of the
deadly, unironic, and wholely self-aware purpose with which they ply their
craft. High Rise II is their purest, hardest moment, and even longtime
devotees who have all their PSF releases ought to consider picking this one
up in order to get a hold of the bonus tracks "Monster A Go Go" and "Induced
Depression."
If you like High Rise, check out:
Thurston Moore/Tom Surgal Klangfarbenmelodie
William Hooker Mindfulness
Tortoise + The Ex In The Fishtank
Lee Ranaldo/William Hooker Clouds
Borbetomagus Experience The Magic
