Korperschwache may seem like a new band. In many ways this is true. This being their first widely available album after years of putting out limited run cds. This band hails from Texas and there is very little to connect their sound with any worldly surroundings. The band play a mix of heavy industrial, black metal and sludge to create a wholly discomforting sound (this is meant in the best way). The band is built somewhat differently than most metal bands from the ground up. This being at least partially due to the reliance on a drum machine and sample kit rather than reeling in their ideas. This works to their advantage throughout the disc.
The album starts with a sample of pounding rain and a girl begging this lengthy sample sets the tone for the entire disc. While it may be a bit on the longer side it works well as an introduction. The sample work and drum machine act as vital components to the overall sound of the band. This is due to the monotony of the drum machine adding an extra layer of creepiness to the proceedings. Most bands that tend to rely on machinery get caught up in sounding more techno than organic. This is not even an occurring thought while listening to the album. The drum machines act more as a consistent current as opposed to taking up the listeners mind. On the other hand the guitars tend to remain slow and creeping rather than showing off any technical wizardry. no instrument seems to deviate from the collective cause.This even goes so far as to include the vocals. The voice may shift from a ghoulish croak to a scream from time to time but, they are used more in effect for atmosphere rather than to generate any hooks or anything catchy per se.
The album all told is a sample based metal nightmare. It acts as a nightmarish soundtrack as opposed to an album metal or otherwise. This is not to without it's own set of merits. If the album is taken outside of genre specifications and solely on it's own it presents the listener with an encompassing experience. Not many albums can provide on all fronts. This is something scary down to the core, the artwork paints a bleak picture while each sample is used with precision. The instrumentation only adds to the fear that this album can cause. This is something to be experienced and taken in as opposed to just being another album this is something of it's own character.
