One of these CDs is completely necessary...



Jesu - Heartache

Two tracks each around the 20 minute mark in length of what is best described as crushingly beautiful music. The old Godflesh fan's will lap it up, the basic elements are still there (rumbling bass, the relentless drum programming, and the familiar tones of Mr Broadricks guitar), but there's something else - a certain melancholy and sadness. Miserable fuckers like me will love it.



2XH vs HHR: Where is my robotic boot?

First things first, don't order this from play.com - they've been fucking me around for well over a month with this. Anyway this compilation has one disc of intelligent metal label hydrahead records artists, and one disc from there more experimental ambient noise sister lable 2XH. The Hydrahead disc is really like too much hard work, the disc seems to be mainly filled with almost jazz like noodling done with death metal-esque guitars, kind of gives me a headache . The 2XH disc is much better, couple of more leftfield Kid606 songs, some serious drone work from Final, and my first introduction to Japanese noise artist Merzbow (he's always in The Wire) who kind of has tunes if you listen hard enough. Anyway, not a bad compilation if you ignore disc 2.



Slam - Year Zero

Yep you're right Walshie, this is very good. Very old school too, lots of analogue instruments and tracks that remind me equally of Afrika Bamabaataa, Soft Cell and (mainly because I've listened to them a fair amount recently) Throbbing Gristle - when they weren't being noisy.