Red Harvest

Their tenth release in almost 20 years, Norway’s Red Harvest return with another outstanding industrial metal platter, following 2004’s Internal Punishment Programs. Guitarists TurboNatas and Ofu Khan’s machinegun picking in opener "Antidote” gives a huge nod to Morgoth’s underappreciated "Resistance” and, after a Celtic Frost-like grunt from Khan, "Mouth of Madness” (and later "I Sweat W.O.M.D.”) reprises that prickly riffage. "Hole in Me” sounds like a cross between Ministry and old Pitchshifter, and the vicious "Icons of Fear… The Curse of the Universe” recalls debut-era Meathook Seed. "Beyond the Limits of Physical Xperience” reverts to Candiru-like electronica, while the military march that introduces "Warthemes” gives way to more mechanised techno madness and claustrophobic voice samples. The ten-minute "Distorted Eyes” builds up tension for multiple crescendos like Godflesh covering Disappearer. "Proprioception” is a short noise collage of factory assemblers over Kraftwerk-ish electro-beats. While this subgenre retains fewer and fewer bands, A Greater Darkness finds Red Harvest displaying a Machiavellian licentiousness for dismal yet inescapable creativity.