Enemy of Love [CD]

Alone, The Body are heavyweights in the world of heavy music, but they’ve never let that fact make them shy away from collaborations. In keeping with their penchant for veering in new directions, The Body’s work with producer OAA (aka AJ Wilson) doubles down on the duo’s sonic excavations at the nexus of electronic, noise, and heavy music. Together, their percussive onslaught churns beneath a single mass of impossible magnitude that lurches and stutters as its gears grind in perpetual struggle. The Body drummer Lee Buford’s signature obliterated volleys set a steady pace which Wilson bolsters with a multitude of rhythmic clicks, thuds and synthesizer squeals. Guitarist and vocalist Chip King pours a cornucopia of volcanic noise-laden textures atop the throb, driving each piece to the absolute brink. Wilson adeptly straddles the line between Buford and King, creating a provocative syncopating interplay as well as employing abrasive samples and synth that entirely blur the boundaries of King’s guitar and howl. The combination of the three is equal parts harrowing and intoxicating.