Women in Tragedy

While the Toronto-area noise underground hasn’t achieved a level of recognition equal to that of most global noise hotspots, small ripples of respect for the Big Smoke have begun appearing in the blogosphere and underground internet press. One act gaining momentum is Women in Tragedy, a one-man drone machine piloted by the ultra-prolific Bob McCully. Labels from as far away as France, Italy and the Netherlands have released McCully’s work, and an LP is on the way via Connecticut’s highly regarded Music Fellowship imprint. City of Women is quite possibly the most accessible Women in Tragedy release to date, yet it is also the most sonically complex. The usual textured sheets of malleable drone have been eschewed for structured compositions that feature intrepid stabs of melody and percussion. McCully also allows his voice to appear, albeit laden with effects, to the point of caustic indecipherability. This is a stunning release, one that is sure to solidify Women in Tragedy’s place in the global noise community.