Chris Forgues' continuing work under the
Kites moniker for Load produces another spectacularly unsettled effort in
Hallucination Guillotine, which he split into two halves with each with having its own respective title in "Hallucination Guillotine" and "Final Worship." Starting with the first title track, a scraggly looped electronic skip that grows more distorted and angry as the song progresses, the disc finds Forgues continuing in the same general vein as
Peace Trials in that rather than sticking to one specific style he seeks to experiment with a variety. It's a welcome approach when even "noise" can prove to be a stultifying label. Thus the demi-spoken word/calm rattle/sudden chaotic grind overload of "Glitter Raider in the Hall of Triumph" -- an absolutely killer song title no matter what genre -- is fundamentally different from the combination of roiling rhythm and relentless series of building sonic swells on "Nice Garden/Lady's Compact" (the album's one collaboration, thanks to L. Davis Fisher's vocals). Moments of sheer creepiness abound (very much a compliment) -- the gasping breath sounds starting "Pink Shadows" are the kind of visceral man/machine fusions
Genesis P-Orridge probably has nightmares about. Meanwhile, the reputation for many Load acts for having a very demented sense of humor continues: "Cool People" sounds a bit like an intercepted phone call between a malfunctioning amplifier falling down a staircase and some kind of smooth guy while a Carl Stalling arrangement plays in the murk. At least, so it seems. ~ Ned Raggett