At least here we have a power-electronics project that we can not accuse of being nazi’s. ‘Militant Jewish industrial’ is Barzel’s (= ‘iron’ in Hebrew) monicker. The project is fiercely inspired by the idea of Zionism (‘the national movement for the return of the Jewish people to their homeland and the resumption of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel’).
The whole cd contributes to this concept, including spoken word samples, artwork and such. I even found an interview with them on the nationalist ‘Save Israel’ website. Barzel states: ‘Barzel was produced for those in Israel and the Diaspora. It’s a strike against our enemies and a call-to-arms for our brethren and allies.’ So all Palestinians can leave this cd at their local mailorder and return fondling their self-made explosive devices.
Personally I’m not really interested in Zionism, so let’s leave the politics to the politicians and discuss the music. Barzel is rough noise, what more is there to be said. It’s noise in the tradition of The Grey Wolves and Genocide Organ: a construction of brutal sounds with occasional spoken word samples, in this case dealing with the Jewish state of course. (Also to be heard in Proiekt Hat, although in Barzel’s case there is no irony.) It’s not original, nor is it particularly good. Production-wise somebody should have done a better job, because all music sounds like coming from underneath a woollen blanket. It has no real depth.
It’s a nice soundtrack to Israeli bulldozers ravishing the house of a Palestinian suicide bomber I suppose, but I heard much better noise-albums than this one. The rhythms and rumblings are too vague to inspire. Almost all tracks are down tuned, without surprising high pitched noises, which makes Barzel more monotonous than most industrial already is.
It’s good to hear a different voice though. It all sounds very sincere and meant. But to learn a thing or two about Zionism I don’t need heavy distorted rumblings, I rather read a good book on it instead.
The cd comes in a nice cardboard sleeve with powerful pamphlet pictures and inspiring quotes. The artwork is sublime to my taste. I think Barzel has potential musically. With a better production and a little more originality, truly inspired, heavy menacing noise can be expected.
