Because of Fear (2021) is the third full-length offering from Acid Damage. The artist takes a uniquely deliberate approach in constructing ambient compositions. Employing the methods of noise and drone composers alike, Acid Damage bares a cinematic beast of writhing horror using minimal instrumentation and processing.
A percussive, bellowing knot resonates a reductionist revelry for a dystopian hellscape. The low, intermittent chime is a bereft siren-call for a despondent populace. A scattered, John Carpenter-esque beat chain palpitates with the classic charm of early digital hardware sequencers. It plays behind a growing, embryonic haze of symbolic optimism as the innocence of discovery begins to shine through a dismal cloak. We hear the uncorrupted song of a piano, its major keys progress to align us with a hopeful sentiment. While delicately placed notes ring justly into creation, a dissonance seeps into the stronghold of forgiving melodies. From hopefulness, a jaded neutrality is born. A growling, formidable drone consumes our soundscape with a gust of pitch-bent modulation. A heavily distorted synth takes the form of a seething wind. The erratic buzz of overloading circuits dissolves as a quiet threat crawls from the sleep of uncertainty, undetected.
Because of Fear imposes a lapse into the unnerving depths of introspection. While fit to serve as the score to a claustrophobic dream, the album lends a harsh light to the corruptible and brutish state of our current reality. Because of Fear does not endeavour to philosophize, though its animosity may leave listeners contemplating their baser selves.
Associated Acts: Hungry for Vladimir
Genres: Dark-Ambient, Noise, Drone, Post-Industrial, Soundtrack, Score, Instrumental, Soundscape