ZENI GEVA & STEVE ALBINI

Maximum Implosion

COLD SPRING Japanese noiseniks and producer extraordinaire combine forces Regardless of logistical and geographical issues, a collaboration between Japanese manglers Zeni Geva and Stateside Steve Albini (Shellac, Big Black, etc) was definitely a logical meeting of minds, as this hefty compilation shows. Drawing as much from a shared appreciation for early Swans as their own respective back catalogues, the material builds itself around a dense array of worrisome lunges, the awkward, mesmeric thrum occasionally punctured by frenzied stabs or melodies that loop like razorwire. Highlights include the introspective Kettle Lake and the malevolent throb of Painwise, and the studio tracks work as either a cohesive standalone or a satisfying extension of the players’ individual exploits. The second disc features live-to-desk cuts recorded in Tokyo and Osaka, which showcase a less refined and restrained side to the partnership, with the muddy, merciless attack only slightly leavened by a bruising Kraftwerk cover.