Autonomous Weapons

Black Matter Device

I've started to follow the fine folks over at Dark Trail Records ever since they put out Pacmanthemovie's most recent record. It seemed like their focus was pushing out some great, chaotic post-hardcore and metal, in which case, they found an audience with me. They've been teasing their new release, Black Matter Device's Autonomous Weapons for a little while and the clips sounded too good to ignore. And yeah, it is exactly what I expected. Panicked guitars, furious blasts of drums, a whiff of nimbly bass, and of course the manic hollering from vocalist Michael Toney, all overload this fourteen-track, twenty-six minute psychotic episode. The experience is pretty unrelenting with only a few sporadic moments where you really feel like you can hold on. The southern hardcore flavoured riff in Dungeons and Drug Dealers and the more comprehendible (but still very angular) guitar melodies towards the end of Coffin Flops are examples, but there aren't many more I can give you. For the most part it is just boundless aggression and confrontation. The album's centrepiece, the thirty-nine second Jay Dino Dies, quickly shows you just how vile the band gets with a speedy grindcore section that barely stays on the rails, even by grindcore standards.

I really only have one critique of this record, which is that any memory I have of the record tends to disappear immediately upon its conclusion. Other than the moments I already mentioned, asking me to pull out memorable riffs, vocal performances, anything really, would be an incredibly hard endeavour. Perhaps that is a function of the slightly messy production. I'm torn slightly because on one hand the production style is very fitting; definitely conveys a sense of distress and disorder. But on the other hand, if it was a little tighter, a little more separation in the instrumentation - especially when those drums are blasting away and overpowering the mix - perhaps a few more guitar performances may pop and leave a lasting impression as far as individual tracks go. While Autonomous Weapons isn't going to be that album that keeps you up at night or ruins your day, metaphorically speaking, it still makes quite the physical impact when it's on. I also recognize an attempt at turning this seemingly disorganized madness into a cohesive record. All the tracks bleed into each other suggesting that it should be experienced from start to finish. And that finish is spectacular. Gender Mountain certainly brings a sense of finality with the slower, more driving tempo, and the nightmare guitars that drone on top. It's epic, in a crushing, 'last rites' sort of way. If I didn't make it clear, Autonomous Weapons is one head-splitting, tooth-grinding, knuckle-dragging affair. Likely one of the most unhinged affairs you will hear this year.