For reasons I can’t quite explain, the word «progression» makes me cringe. I can appreciate the efforts of those musicians who desire to move forward and develop their sound over time. However, I have a low tolerance for those who either give themselves a stylistic facelift, or actually simplify their musical approach and have the gall to call it «progression» . It is a pleasure to report that Pittsburgh’s Circle of Dead Children have come along nicely since 1999’s «Exotic Sense Decay». At just over 12 minutes in length, I always thought of «ESD» as a sampler, or «tease» if you will. It defined the band’s general direction for the future, but did little to prepare me for the abrasive terror that is their present disc, «The Genocide Machine». With this release, vocalist Joe Horvath, guitarist Jason Andrews, bassist Alf Kooser, and drummer Jon Miciolek have shown no regard for the supposed «limits» of sonic extremity. There is blinding speed. There are disorienting tempo variations. There are vocals which will possibly set the genre’s benchmark for diversity. Lastly, there are painfully slow breakdowns which I would liken to swimming through molten lead.

CODC’s initial plan of attack (which is most evident on the title track and «Cremationism») involves cutting the listener down with a light-speed flurry of razor-sharp riffs. Weakened from blood loss, the victim has little choice but to submit to a series of blunt, mid-paced beatings. If luck is on his side, the trauma might end there. Then again, another fast riff sequence might deepen the lacerations, and quickly deliver him from his misery. But in the event that fortune turns its back on him, the listener will end his suffering only after being flattened by a sludge-fueled steamroller.

Before I give the impression that this album is in any way formulaic (it is not), I will add some details on the more subtle aspects. There are two ambient/noise tracks, entitled «Isabella’s Nightmare» , and «When We Make The Sky Scream». Both were written and performed by drummer Jon Miciolek, who allows «The Genocide Machine» to breathe a bit with the addition of these atmospheric pieces. «From Eros To Thanatos» contains spoken word dialogue, accompanied by an interesting instrumental theme. «Extreme Cannibal Smoke» serves as an epic of sorts (by CODC standards), as it runs well over four minutes and contains snippets of every aural device the band have stocked in their arsenal of violent chaos and subtle disorder.

As if this isn’t enough punishment for one day, I feel obligated to add that the vocals of Joe Horvath are second to none when it comes to emotional imbalance and outright misanthropy. Be it high-pitched shrieking, thunderous bellowing, or something in between, the man puts on a performance that is worth its weight in gold. Buy this fucking album today!

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