Shop our Big Takeover store for back issues, t-shirts & CDs
Follow The Big Takeover
Northern California’s Liver Cancer have returned with another ear-splitting onslaught of uncompromising noise. Where Children of the Vortex, their previous effort for Love Earth Music, was the noise equivalent of an ’80s hardcore punk record, Adrenalflag Cirrosismantis Livormortis has more in common with black metal.
Satanic references run rampant right from the beginning. “Son of Perdition” opens with a plaintive voice loop stating, “He is darkness incarnate; he is Satan,” that quickly drowns in the overmodulated squelch of blistering electronics. “Shit Precher” (sic) continues in the same noise vein with a demonic voice howling over feedback and distortion. Later on, “Antihymn” opens with a bit of the Satanic Mass before a voice mired in effects pedals screams Masonna-style over screeching steel-grinding turmoil. These tracks, and the aptly titled “Swimming in Glass,” run just over a minute, easily fitting the mold of blast-beat laden black metal, while “Dachau in Winter,” “Thee EYE,” “Ward B” and “Sonic Burial” are quite a bit longer (around eight minutes each) and much darker, reminiscent of Yen Pox and Blood Box and incorporating the depressive aspect of black metal.
More so than most other noise albums, Adrenalflag Cirrosismantis Livormortis is a particularly unpleasant listen because it wholeheartedly delves into the blackest regions of the psyche, places where most of us would never choose to go of our own volition. While not recommended for those who are weak of spirit, if you have the strength and are willing to explore the deepest, darkest emotions imaginable, give this a spin and scare your hippy-dippy neighbor the next time he annoys you with his acoustic guitar.
