I just received two reviews of Merciless Protraction, both excellent, from Gothtronic Magazine and Side Line Magazine. The first review from Side Line Magazine noted that the album demonstrates, “very different sides and angles from industrial music,” which is what I wanted to create. I wanted to show an evolution of industrial music from its fundamental roots as opposed to the derailed direction human beings have unfortunately forced it. Over the past few years human beings have corrupted industrial music attempting to create a spectacle of fashion and theatrics, damaged and flawed by human nature, and rooted in a diluted vision of a future which directly contradicts the fundamental principles of what was once a clandestine form of art and culture. This art and culture is urban; output from human civilization, it is within this reality every day and exists now…and you don’t need to dress a part in order to participate. Additionally, both reviews scored the album very high with Gothtronic rating the album at 8.5/10 and Side Line at 7/8 which is amazing to me.
From Side Line Magazine:
Joshua Colella aka Scrap.Edx strikes back on Hands with a new full length album. This industrial chameleon again shows us very different sides and angles from industrial music. Multiple influences moving from industrial to d’n’b to breakcore to experimental have been sticked together for this “Merciless Protraction”. It all starts in ambient quietness with the “Don’t Listen To These Messages”-track. A few industrial sounds already emerges to surface becoming even heavier and more percutant on the excellent “Orbital Strike Weapon”. Scrap.Edx starts to surprise with his d’n’b inspired “Hell Hath no Fury”. I here like the kind of vocals overloaded and abused by effect treatments. Next comes “Transplanted” where Scrap.Edx moves into a kind of Autechre goes industrial style. This song is quite complex while dominated by subtle and efficne bleeps. “Merciless Pratraction” was constructed with a excellent sound library. It’s really fascinating to hear the way songs have been built up. The two last cuts (cf. “Flow Dropper” and “Merciless Protraction”) both create a climax and ultimate apotheosis. Both pieces are quite dynamic. “Flow Dropper” is more into d’n’b influences while a few more vocals with effects on top areproficient. The title track ending the album is quite punching featuring great industrial percussion sounds. Diversity is definitely the secret and leitmotiv of this new album.
(DP:7/8)DP.
From Gothtronic Magazine:
The new Scrap.edx album starts with a threatening dark ambient track with the announcement ‘do not listen to these messages’ in which the listener is served with an unheimisch almost paranoid feel. Necxt Scrap.edx takes the clueless listener further into his industrial breaks world with the beats of tracks like ‘Orbital Strike Weapon’ and ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ to which industrial subgenres like rhythmic noise, drum ‘n noise and breakcore are relentlessly plundered. It is striking to hear Scrap.edx is really good in building up towards a climax in his tracks which ensures the album Merciless Protraction doesn’t get boring at all and guarantees an interesting listening trip as well as a couple of dance floor tracks. This fifth album by Scrap.edx ends in a furious highlight with the title track ‘Merciless Protraction’. Merciless Protraction is without doubt the most complete and accomplished Scrap.edx album to date. Mandatory buy for fans of industrial drum ‘n bass and rhythmic noise.
