Human Animal
Sub Pop, 2006
rating: 4/5
reviewer: s. kobak

Two years and millions of cases of Coors Light later, Wolf Eyes return to Sub Pop for another go at making a cohesive studio album. The band's new Sub Pop album, Human Animal, marks many casual fans' first exposure to Mike Connelly's contributions. In a move that prompted many to dub the group Hair Eyes or Wolf Police, the Wolf guys acquired Connelly from his Hair Police death after electronics ace Aaron Dilloway moved to Nepal with his girlfriend.

Connelly spends the duration of the album ensuring that he is part of a triumvirate, not merely ducking under the spastic heroics of Young and Olson. He lends the slow-crawl, horror movie intensity and sense of suspense he exemplified on Hair Police's excellent knife-'em-up Constantly Terrified. His awareness of space and ability to sketch warped aural underworlds complement Olson and Young's face-melting percussive-corroded sonic attacks. As a result, Human Animal has more of the same creative muscle-flexing as Burned Mind, but is a distinctly different animal – one that does not show its teeth immediately.

Whereas Burned Mind would lead you down a darkened path just to hit you in the face with a Louisville Slugger like "Stabbed in the Face," Human Animal chooses to build on the mood and charge at the right time. The disc starts with "A Million Years," which maintains the same stalker-esque pulse of Burned Mind, but the threat seems more real and lingering. It is as if Michael Meyers is in the building, but no one knows where. When Connelly's piercing, tortured scream appears at the end of the corridor and Olson's reed wails to emphasize the confrontation, the mood is set.

"Rationed Riot," the disc's third tune, finds the destruction unit delving in dense atmospherics, while Nate Young rattles off killer beat poetry about sewage rats and generally horrific degradation. It is another tone-setting menace guiding the band through frightening netherworld swamps. The unstable mood seems to be steadily building to some sort of eerie sonic murder.

It is not until the title-track that the band melds their slasher-flick sludge with Burned Mind's sheer brutality. Their subtlety pays off on "Human Animal," and their offensive proves more effective; the "song" is a direct kick to the gut. "Rusted Manage" is a prickly ball-of-hate, complete with lots of hideous screeches and a drum machine pulsation akin to the rapid fire of an M-16. The tune is so devastatingly claustrophobic it feels as if Young is trapped in a studio box with spiders and leeches attacking from all sides. The album ends with a cover of No Fucker's classic "Noise Not Music," a sonic statement from the band. The song melds the Wolf guys' classic B-movie soundscapes with power violence hardcore. Connelly's screams punctuate Olson's manic old man vocals.

"Noise Not Music" is a prime example of the band's aesthetic of "Fuck art, let's have fun." However, it is also a reminder that, although highly advanced from early pioneers like The New Blockaders and Merzbow, the noise "genre" still has quite a ways to go. Human Animal is arguably one of the best sonic statements in the entirety of the "noise" sub-genre, yet it is still not canonized, classic material. As many repeat listens as this album and many others in the vast Wolf Eyes catalog warrant, the band still has not made an album that transcends its niche market or serves as an undeniable classic from the critic's vantage, like Slayer's Reign in Blood. Human Animal is, however, as close to perfect as a noise album can be, and one gets the feeling that the Wolf dudes are going to keep chipping away until they create their Reign in Blood.

1. A Million Years
2. Lake of Roaches
3. Rationed Riot
4. Human Animal
5. Rusted Manage
6. Leper War
7. The Driller
8. Noise not Music

Burned Mind
Sub Pop, 2004
rating: 4/5
reviewer: amneziak


A - Amneziak
AW - Amneziak's Wife

A: I can't wait for you to see this band that's opening for Sonic Youth tonight. You're totally going to hate them. They're called Wolf Eyes and they're loud as shit.

AW: Are you serious? Do I really have to go to this thing? You know I hate your crappy music.

A: YES! You HAVE to at least see Sonic Youth. I know you like them.

AW: Yeah, they're pretty good. Who else is supposed to be opening for them?

A: This band called Hair Police. They're another band I'm sure you'll hate. I told you about both of them. Remember? No Fun Fest? NYC?

AW: *rolls eyes* GREAT!?!?!?!

A: Oh yeah, bring your ear plugs. You'll need them.

The above dialogue is usually the type of situation I find myself in with my wife when it comes time for me to drag her to a show. She hates my music and doesn't even remotely understand anything that's not radio-friendly "ear candy." However, in the case of Wolf Eyes, and noise music in general, I completely understand. Wolf Eyes is certainly not the type of band that would be the cup of tea for many.

With their first full-length release on the Sub Pop label, Wolf Eyes set out to destroy all hopes of becoming popular in the mainstream. And I'm not even saying that's their intent. But regardless of their intent, the new album is here and ready to kill. Burned Mind is full of gigantic sounds with devastating results, and it's certainly going to make the average listener wonder what the hell just happened to them.

The pounding tape loops and random noises are still heavily in tact here, but are even louder than before. It's as if this trio is angry at the world and is desperate to leave all their aggression behind in the studio. I remember when the good old drum kit was my choice for relieving anger. After a release like this, Olson, Young, and Dilloway must be the nicest guys on the planet.

The album starts of with "Dead in the Boat," a song that begins quietly and hints that maybe this could be one of their more ambient, textured albums. But within seconds, we see that these Michigan noisters aren't going to be so forgiving on our ears. Quickly taking charge is the song that is typically heard at their live show, called "Stabbed in the Face." The song wins my vote as the most devastating track to ever hit these old eardrums. And the louder you turn up the volume, the more ferocious it becomes.

It's damn near impossible to sit through the entire song at a high volume. You most certainly wouldn't want to be listening to this album while stuck in traffic. In fact, I'm usually pretty worn out and ready for a good night of sleep by the time the album finishes. There are certain moments later in the album where the band gives the listener a tiny bit of sympathy. Songs like "Burned Mind" and "Black Vomit," although not quite as bombastic as the others, show why Wolf Eyes is the premier noise band.

But whether these guys are going to hit the mainstream anytime soon or not, you can rest assured that people will be talking about them. Burned Mind contains some of the heaviest moments on record that I've ever heard. And while the fact may remain true that they won't be everyone's cup of tea, this is music that won't be easily forgotten.

1. Dead in a Boat
2. Stabbed in the Face
3. Reaper's Gong
4. Village Oblivia
5. Urine Burn
6. Rattlesnake Shake
7. Burned Mind
8. Ancient Delay
9. Black Vomit