CON-DOM - HOW WILCOME IS DEATH - 2LP BOXSET
Tesco
The image seen online doesn't do justice for the record itself. All those odd black lines over logo and so on are not part of actual finished item.
I must say, as we're talking of one of my favorite bands, it's hard to really pretend as if I could approach it objectively. Nor I think it should be aim either. So many years of listening Con-Dom's work, seeing gigs and so on, there is couple decades of setting both: expectations as well as forgiving certain aspects.
I have never thought that Con-Dom would be the kind of stuff one could call "audiophile noise". I don't think there is aim to get sounds to be eye-candy to noisefans, but be elements in conceptual art pieces. At least in all his full length albums.
What album loses in technical aspects - be it pixelated images or some snapping loops, it wins in strength of material overall. I get a feeling, that images may have been with purpose evading all aspects of "arty" - to be as real and as blunt as possible. Few technical flaws or tinny sounds barely matter, when Con-Dom again displays to remain master in creating both, arch within individual tracks as well as within album. It's subject matter is pulled from various sources, testimonies of terminally ill, dying, people losing their lifeforce. Very different take to control and domination, but still clear. Perhaps clearest in suicidal wishes. "I am so tired of being dependent on people". There are some aggressive material as well, but mostly album is like the theme. Eerie and disturbing.
I have yet to listen is CD sounds different than vinyl, but I'd say that despite fancy box and neat double vinyl format with etching on the D-side.... I think CD lay-out with smaller booklet and multi-panel digipak works better with the graphics.
