Fire in the Head – Solace through Psychosis

My initial reaction to receiving this cd by American noise act was a happy one; finally I was able to listen to some brutal noise again, without having to pick a cd out randomly from the pile of releases in this genre. The logo, artwork, and website look serious and the slogan says it all: Nihilism, noise, narcissism. By the time I found some time to review this release, I already stumbled on a review by JS (also on Funprox) on another Fire in the Head cd, stating that we’re dealing with a good though non-original noise act.

The cd starts with a noisy intro which doesn’t completely convince me, it’s high-pitched and brutal although it misses some sort of over-the-top edge which I enjoy when listening to some good noise. Track 2, “Mantra”, is better though. Harsh noise and vocal samples with enough low frequencies make for a really convincing attack rumbling through my speakers. The following tracks continue in this vein of high-pitched shrieks, distorted vocals and low rumbling. There is no clear rhythmic base but still there is enough structure in the mayhem to enjoy it. Track 6 is one of the best tracks with its (almost) rhythmic structure and repetitive vocal samples. The last track, “Because I have to”, finishes the cd off in style. Quite convincing!

All in all a recommended release for those who enjoy the more harsh noise acts.

artist: Fire in the Head
label: RRRecords
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