Album Review: Remote Viewing – It’s Better This Way (Sludgelord Records)

Remote Viewing is a noise rock band featuring ex-members of Palehorse, Million Dead and I Want You Dead. Formed at the end of 2016 the band is comprised of John Atkins (bass), James Bryant (guitar), Tom Fowler (guitar), Dimitris Sakellariou (drums) and Nikolai von Stieglitz (vocals).

Following their formation, the band wasted no time in creating and recording their debut record ‘Blood Loss’ during the winter of 2017. That album was released by Hominid Sounds on vinyl the following Summer and quickly established Remote Viewing as a staple on the UK underground scene.

After touring the songs from “Blood Loss” for the rest of that year, Remote Viewing went into hibernation in late November 2018 to write and record the follow up record, the result of which is ‘It’s Better This Way’.

‘It’s Better This Way’ will be released on a limited cassette run via Sludgelord Records and self- released on digital and CD by Remote Viewing on the 29th November 2019.

With the screech of the feedback ringing in the ears, Remote Viewing welcome us to their filthy and noisy sound. They Never Made It Home really gets under the skin but it’s not a complete chaotic meshing of sounds as is often the case with noise-rock. Here and with the following The Tissue Issue there are subtle touches that give things a bit more groove, a bit more order and a bit more sense.

With a nod to post-rock, Suspicious Embraces at The Museum of Dental Malpractice is an early highlight. One that echoes deeply with clarity as the guitars continue their disconcerting chuggy style, the drums crash and smash with complete abandon and the vocals screech and howl. However, there is also a darker and more melodic edge here too. Powerful stuff.

Still focused on a really dark and bleak pathway, Like Forest Fire wails at a slower and more vile sounding tempo and A Dog in Heaven builds uncomfortable dread with pained squeals that keep increasing in veracity as it goes on.

The spectacular noise of Remote Viewing is exhausting stuff and the five-piece seem to know this as we get a fairly short stomping number with High Level Gutter Clearance before Blue Gardens shows us just how spectacular this band can be as we crawl through the murky sludge.

Ending on Let the Oil Soak Out, a colossal 8+ minute finale. The howls of pain and suffering are almost too much to bear so that when it quiets briefly, it’s such relief.

One of the finest ‘noise rock’ releases heard this year.

Remote Viewing – It’s Better This Way Full Track Listing:

1. They Never Made It Home
2. The Tissue Issue
3. Suspicious Embraces at The Museum of Dental Malpractice
4. Like Forest Fire
5. A Dog in the Oven
6. High Level Gutter Clearance
7. Blue Gardens
8. Let the Oil Soak Out

Links

Bandcamp | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Sludgelord Records