EARTH DIVIDED BY ZERO

My first taste of Combat Astronomy. This group goes for that 'brutal' sound that some modern avant bands are into. The dominant instrument here is the loud distorted bass. It gets a bit much after awhile; it would have been nice if there was a little more variation. In addition to the bass there is some drums, wordless vocals and wind instruments(saxes, clarinet). There is also some electronics added as well.

The album begins with a female voice that reminds me of Il Balleto di Bronzo's Ys album. "Parallax Of One Arc Second" opens with a nice mix of acoustic piano and electric piano. Then the bass and drums come in and drown that all out. Things get better with the wordless female vocals and the saxes. "Eating Backwards" has a cool title. Starts with some good spacey effects. Some sax skronking at the end. The title track is divided in three parts, the second part being the most interesting. More mellow than the other two parts. The vocals in the third part are pretty good. "The Atrocity Commission" is the longest song. Starts out with a 'brutal' sounding part, and then a long less intense section with winds, piano and effects. Goes back to the 'brutal' part later. Interesting percussion sounds near the end.

Sometimes the music sounds like a slowed down Ruins. The bass and drums are in your face and rarely let anything else breathe. Recommended to those who like the heavier, noisier end of modern avant-prog. A good effort but nothing spectacular. 3 stars.