CoC : En Nihil - Blood Dreams : Review

En Nihil - _Blood Dreams_
(Pure, 1997)
by: Andrew Lewandowski (8.5 out of 10)

Rarely have I witnessed such a drastic change from one album to the next; despite a few moments when evil pervaded, _Death Keeps_, released earlier this year on Red Stream, was quite soothing, and almost a cerebral jaunt through a morning sky of fluffy white clouds in comparison to this monstrosity. From the opening sequence of _Blood Dreams_, a bellicose bass-heavy bombast blasts through the speakers, transporting the mortified listener to the center of a tumultuous storm. A nauseating typhoon of power electronics consumes the masochistic spectator, oscillating his skull back and forth through an interminable epoch of unadulterated misery. This time, the fluffy clouds of tranquillity will inevitably elude you. And this is only the final ten minutes of the third track! By now, I'm sure that you, my reader, are pondering a thought or two that traverse these lines: "Not another noise album! They all sound the same, and if I so desired to experience repetitive agony, why would I not walk outside and live instead of listening to music? At least living's free." That may be true, yet _BD_ is not just another noise album. The subtle nuances of this work should serve as an impetus to a few whispers of 'ambient,' yet the effrontery of the CD's mastering frequently obscures such idiosyncrasies. Thus, the CD tends to have a somewhat homogeneous sound, and never reaches the frenzied apex of the third track. Even though En Nihil's obvious talent should be utilized in a more conducive forum, the record label, Pure, makes this a must buy release. As with all other titles in the Pure catalog, the minimal packaging of this release (a plain black slip case) results in a price of $8 for a brand new copy (and three Pure titles can be purchased for a grand total of only $20!).

(article published 12/8/1997)