Review: Achenar - Super Death Explosion Kittens (2011)

"I'm becoming insane..."

Achenar is a one-man project by Duncay Hemingway. 

Duncan is from Aviemore, Scotland and he formed Achenar in 2003 and he also founded his own label, Earthen Records through which he releases Achenar.

I reviewed the previous album by Achenar, All Will Change, and it seems that my opening sentence there applies here as well: The album “presents an aural assault on the ears right in the opening track. Chaotic and noisy, it may represent the unorganized and messy beginning of all things to come”.

"Arise, Minions", the track opening the album, will wake the dead, not only the minions. But then again, each track here will result in not only awakening of your dearly departed, but of every nerve fiber in your auditory system and those linked to it; it will fire up your synapses, bring about the mass release of neurtransmitters and may very well make you quizzy. If there ever was an album not made for the weak of mind and faint-hearted, this is it.

If you sensed from reading the above, that I was writing it all in a negative tone, you’re in the wrong.

Much like was the case for All Will Change, this album pulled the ground from below my ears’ “feet” and made me need auditory crutches. This is not just an assault, it’s a full scale sonic war. It is filthy sounding, dirty and grimy. It is insane and deranged. It is a soundtrack of hectic rage, fury and violence.

As the promo sheet says, the music takes cues from technical metal bands in style and resembles other bands like Venetian Snares in use of effects and industrial sound to achieve this controlled chaotic music. You’ll find a few songs on here (and you can read the lyrics in the website here). The vocals sound slightly processed and are more spoken than sung. The drumming (drum machine) is over the top and is the driving force of the non-melodic music, alongside the electronics and whatever Duncan uses to create his world-sound.

With a running time of almost 21 minutes, I find this to be short and to the point. More than that, and I think listeners would have to get medicated for fear of over-exposure. Not an everyday listen, but a satisfying one when the mood strikes.

Release Wesbite (with lyrics, art-work, MP3 and info)
Bandcamp (you can stream both albums there).