Brigandin résume bien ce à quoi l'on est confronté avec cet album. Un mélange parfois tout à fait surprenant de boucan absolu et de trame mélodique recherchée ('Little King' est fort proche des premiers 45 tours de Jesus & Mary Chain), comme s'il fallait presque systématiquement masquer celle-ci derrière une muraille aussi bruyante que possible (Smiles and sacrifices - 1:34 à 2:12), le résultat est ici d'une beauté déchirante. Ailleurs, ce sera comme l'emprise irrésistible d'une sorte de fureur annihilatrice (The Immolation of Malachi - 0:48 à 1:11). l'album oscille perpétuellement entre deux extrêmes. Coup de génie ou canular, expressionnisme décadent ou envolée bruitiste inaudible, maîtrise orchestrale ou expérimentation hasardeuse ... Album frustrant parce que se refusant à être ce que l'on voudrait qu'il soit, traversé de zones d'ombres incompréhensibles et d'éclairs de folie. Mais sans doute, est-ce la volonté de 'Rachael Please' de ne donner que par intermittence, et d'arracher aussitôt le peu qui puisse s'offrir dans un accès de nihilisme extrême et hallucinant. On saisira donc au passage de sublimes fragments (les titres à la fois les plus intransigeants et les plus intéressants vont de 'Little King' à 'The Immolation of Malachi') ainsi que quelques plages d'une quiétude magnifiquement ambiguë (exemple: Of that Adorned). Un album qui ne peut laisser indifférent et dont les excès eux-même ont finalement valeurs d'étalon dans cette quête effrénée d'une beauté forcément insaisissable et qui ne pourrait se réinventer qu'après une traversée du miroir forcément éprouvante et destructrice.
Smiles and Sacrifices, "this world was built on failure", true indeed. And, I don't see things changing, except for a few voices like Rachael Please pleading into the void. A track I feel some affinity with (long story). The Long and Dirty Solution, is like a Roman prophet drawing out the entrails the fortune of that which is to come, or not, as the case may be. A protracted sense of suffering, with a constant feeling of being tainted, not necessarily through your own fault, but more by people's misunderstandings. Withdraw, is a brilliant sound. Then Pig+Runt, a feeling, anguished heart. Floral White and Dressed To Die, one in the eye. I think I get the picture. I think I've been in a similar situation, on many occasion. Reminds me of Inhaler, in places. That's no disgrace by any means.
Lacuna 1, Interruption, a very industrial interlude, a brief sidestep, daintily done. Little King can still wield a lot of power and control, and in some ways can be worse and more tyrannical. The musical theme holds fast and brings back many memories. Sordid details following... There seems to be an element of things getting worse and more broken, which I can understand how such things progress, or decay. However you want to look at it. Here I sense a dark undercurrent of anger and frustration maybe, I could be wrong, that's not an impossibility. Makes me think of Prong in the early days, mixed in with a bit of Coil perhaps. A lot of mayhem and craziness, which gives me this impression of entropy.
There is no singularity with sheep, except in their outlook, but even that is a shared morbidity. The Plural of Sheep is Sheep, and that speaks volumes in itself. A better track, feels more motivated, like there is an element of resistance. That is a necessity if you are (or were) where you are (or were). People generally herd, even when they've heard they still don't understand, which is none too grand, for one that has a demand, to avoid the brand. Heretic is wonderfully constructed and deployed. I am one for sure, never one to flock (and I'm up for group therapy, like I want a hole in my head!). I yearn to travel back in time and become one of the perfecti and resist the Albigensian Crusade. Read the Cathars and Reincarnation by Guirdham, you'll know what I mean.
Be Still and Know That I Am God. In my mind and soul, I can appreciate, I believe, exactly where you are coming from. The sheep won't get it, but then is that such a bad thing? The important thing is that you know, not even that I think I do, just that you do. The Immolation of Malachi, sacrificed maybe but angel after all. Have you watched Constantine, what an angel to adore, for sure. Lacuna 2, Suspension. I heard that click at the end, and am under the impression that I know it so well. At least I used to. Cream smooth in delivery. Now, we are at In Life, things seem to have calmed somewhat, which is what I would pray for you for. Integration, which is what I craved, is great in a sense and is ideally achieved without becoming one of the herd. So, maybe its more a internal mechanism, centred around being able to accept yourself.
I get by on suppression (it's my only choice, though I still dream the dreams) and that is The Comfort Of Doubt. The only comfort. A different voice that reminds me constantly of what I was, what I could have been, what I am inside. Now, the latter will never change and I hold it dearly to my heart and soul. I try to avoid the confusion of zombies. Actually, a really nicely constructed track. They get better as the album progresses, so it seems. Of That Adorned, reminds me of my magic mirror. I have to close the portal to that other world now, but once so adorned, never suborned. The Black Corridor makes me think of the lovely Marilyn (you know the one I mean), such a long way for me to reach such an end. I turned and took a door off the main thoroughfare. Choices! Finally, the title track, Repulse and Devastation.
Has this album changed my life. I'm not so sure that I wasn't already there. I found the first album brilliant. This too has its incandescence but in a totally different way. The repulsion I experienced, led to a devastation that nearly wiped me out completely. I think, if anything, this album has made me feel like not being one of the herd has been worthwhile, like I am listening to a fellow soul and I hope I understand. If I am so wrong, maybe I do need that group therapy, though I don't feel it is going to help. Either way, I have to go through the system, but this time my guard is up and I'm ready to play the game, this time with a card up my sleeve. It's the way they want it, so that's the way they're going to get it. Outstanding work, quite a journey.
#12 this weekRepulse and Devastation 
