The assaultive new studio release by this dissonant, futuristic noise-rock institution from Pittsburgh. A gnarly glimpse into the future of robot dirt! Psionic Impedance is MICROWAVES newest salvo of dystopian guitar riffing, off kilter drumming, warped electronics and manic vocals. It is heavy, but it is not metal. The music rocks, but it is not rock in the sense that it embraces morons. The compositions are short and to the point. This thing is furious and ugly. The duo, consisting of string-mutilator DAVID KUZY and object-batterer JOHN ROMAN, elicits fifteen succinct odes to technological paranoia and decay on this painstakingly dense production. Since the two don’t currently employ a bass player, they tend to trigger samples of bass and electronic sounds on electronic drum pads. It is an ingenious solution, and they effortlessly sound the same way live as they do on this record. They are loud, they wear uniforms and their equipment looks good. The material on this release consists of intelligently constructed series of angular phrases coupled with obliquely visceral lyrical references, delivered in a high strung, agitated manner. One might sense a whiff of chrome, a smattering of Devo, a grain of grindcore, perhaps a glint of Amrep—whatever signifiers you want to tag on them, this kind of grimy, futuristic noise is in short supply these days. Microwaves are prepared to give this dying mud ball full of insipid drones what they need: rigor and discipline.
