A prettily printed CDR in a seven-inch
package -- sort of an awkward combo
--Brume's presumably jubilant
After the Battle [A Chronicle of the Joy of Life] is in fact a
rather sinister-sounding affair. Christian Renou is a
remarkably unique soundsmith, his compositions eluding the ol'
pigeonhole by being so damn eclectic --
here he tests out, among other modes of sound: dark ambient drones,
eerie samples, outright beats, a fair share of noise (ranging from
dark and harsh to high-pitched and tinnitis-inducing), the kitchen
sink, and everything in between.
I am most drawn to the droning, ominous
moments which sporadically populate After the Battle, as
exemplified by the cavernous, droning ebbs and evil spoken words of
“Frozen Fields” and the maudlin clip-clops heard on “Survival in
Eating Proteines [sic]from Human
Brain Corpses.” These tracks, as well as several parts of others,
evoke dark, apocalyptic cityscapes with an
efficacy only the finest sound sculptors
seem capable of. My enthusiasm is less abundant with regards
to Renou's use of high-pitched tones, which can be 'enjoyed' most
prominently on the otherwise merrily atmospheric tandem of “I Did
Not Remember My Name / Fire Again!” and “We Were Young...” But hey,
diff'rent strokes n' all.
Somewhere between those moments which I
truly dig, and those which I teeth-gratingly tolerate,
are several varied excursions -- the messy
carnage-beats of “Stalingrad,” noisy sizzle “Another Style of War,”
and mesmeric epic “I'm Feeling Good,” which boasts a dazzling
passage of longing strings, whispered vocals, and crashing metal
destruction. After the Battle is sometimes a disorienting
affair as a result of its sheer
eclecticism, something which might turn off listeners who are
unaccustomed to Renou's body of work. But this veritable journey of
a record is worth following if one relinquishes control and allows
the sound to guide the way.
