Genre: Psychedelic/Drone/Experimental
Track Listing:
01 Nice Girls (Just Want To Fuck)
02 Red Wind
03 Its Hard To Sleep At Night With A Back Full Of Knives
04 Who Moved The Floor?
05 Blues For A Dead Doctor
06 Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God
What a strange release from Korperschwache, Texas' own acid supplier. Composer and main-man RKF describes this musical entity as Psychedelic Black Metal Drone type stuff, however I do not hear much of a metal influence at all. Perhaps in some of the guitar riffs that are gently layered into the mix contain a dark essence to it, but no where near Black Metal in my personal opinion, as it lacks the tremolo and backing elements often found in that particular form of music. Korperschwache does, however, contain a very looming essence about it. A constant shrouded dark ambience flows throughout these six instrumental tracks, with lots of basic yet effective guitar and percussion work.
In my opinion, this album would have been better if it were to have opened with a track like "Its Hard To Sleep At Night With A Back Full Of Knives", as it contains one of the strongest opening segments found on the album and is equally as strong throughout the nine plus minutes of its entirety. Rather, the album opens with "Nice Girls (Just Want To Fuck)", admittedly a humorous title, with an equally as humorous drum machine cymbal which is over used to the maximum extent through the majority of the track, which also reaches the nine plus minute mark. Perhaps one of the most annoying usage of drum machine cymbals I have heard to date, as it distracts you greatly from what is happening behind it in the mix. However, after the first track the songs continue in a more focused approach, blending well with each other. Heavy bass tones, mixed with strange guitar passages and drones which sound like they are being omitted from the bowels of Satans belly.
RKF has effectively created a sonic mess of sorts, a knotted ball of sound with no direction. Randomness, and perhaps much improvisation had to of been used to create these tracks as there also lacks a constant feeling commonly found in music of this type. Very experimental to say the least, as perhaps the only way to understand what is going on would be under the influence of spiritual enlightenment through usage of LSD. This is entirely where the Psychedelic moniker comes into play, a true statement to sum up the overall sound of these tracks. Each track is very slow and ominous, as a sloth or tortoise traveling through a winter storm, only to be awoken from slumber by the occasional drum machine solo, but thankfully nothing like the opening track. My favourite track on the album has to be the closing number, "Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God ". It is also the only track on the album with real percussion, performed by Amber Dickerson of Fullstride. The guitar work on this song is also very well composed, droning throughout and by far being the most focused and constant riff structured on the album. A great closing track to say the least.
All in all, "Broken Blades Of Steel Scattered Across The Narrow Way" is a humorous release, as it is very odd and experimental in its approach, and of course the name of the album and song titles also play a big factor in this. I mean, with a song called "Who Moved The Floor" how can one not think that the individual responsible for composing these songs is not perhaps, insane? Random, endless, and perhaps most important of all;Psychedelic! Sugar cube anyone?
