Raspberry Bulbs - Nature Tries Again
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He Who Crushes Teeth adopts one-man black metal in his new project, Raspberry Bulbs. The metal is black, primitive, and lo-fi, as we would expect from his role in Bone Awl. He paints a portrait similar to those we’ve seen from other one-man projects: an outsider looking in. But on Nature Tries Again (Hospital Productions, 2011), the delivery shifts from redundant to robust.
The labor is evenly divided among cavernous vocals, lagging riffs, and bottomless drums, all enveloped by layers of distortion. These marks are charming. As the name suggests, Raspberry Bulbs has plenty of color. With early Venom beats, “Face in the Cave” and “The Center of the Earth” perk up like flushed cheeks; “Will I Ever Speak the Truth?” and “What It Is Between Us” flaunt punky thrills.
The words behind the sounds are severe. A restless misanthrope strikes a chord many have heard before. Humanity reeks. Dishonesty flourishes. Masks deceive. All that was once believed to be real never was or ever will be. That idea shouldn’t sound like Armageddon. It should sound like sensory overload. When I listen to Raspberry Bulbs, I hear an eardrum busted, a speaker blown, a sense overused. In that respect, Nature Tries Again hits the nail on the head, with as little means as possible.
Metal in wisdom while punk in delivery, Raspberry Bulbs is fun. It isn’t about biting off more than you can chew. The structure is standard, the music is simple; the message is bleak. It’s raw, and damn does it taste good.
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HEAR NATURE TRIES AGAIN
“The Center of the Earth”
[audio: RASPBERRYBULBS_CENTER.mp3]
“What It Is Between Us”
[audio: RASPBERRYBULBS_WHAT.mp3]
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BUY NATURE TRIES AGAIN
Amazon (MP3)
Hospital Productions (LP)
Hospital Productions (digital)
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