WOLF EYES - Slicer

"Coming just months after Dread (Wolf Eyes' first LP as a trio), Slicer was released on cassette in an edition of 50 in 2001. From start to finish, it's a full-fledged sonic experience. Deep stuttering bass, high streams of electronics, rugged tape manipulation, horns, glass - this recording contains an enormous spectrum of sound. Mastering legend John Golden, who cut the lacquer for vinyl, said it was like cutting a sonic obstacle course. That doesn't mean Slicer is a record that you'll play once and file away.The Olson, Young, and Dilloway line-up, which lasted just 5 years, shows unusual restraint here. The calm intensity of their wildly bizarre sonic experiments and masterful compositional moves make for a rewarding repeat listen. With influences coming from all over - avant-garde sound art, industrial music, psychedelic rock - specifically, Slicer brings to mind the perfectly edited Malesch from Agitation Free, the immediacy of SPK, and the innovation of Henning Christiansen. I