****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Let me just say I'm a fan of all styles of metal. I got into Agoraphobic with Pcp torpedo & Frozen Corpses (Cuz Killjoy from Necrophagia) so I decided to complete my collection of ANb. After getting the masterful Arc at a metal shop locally I felt it was time to check back & see if I missed anything I didn't know of. Well Arc was that,however I obtained literally everything that they released.Alotta early splits are all compiled on Bestial Machinery (I reviewed that as well,& have reviewed every ANb album) but on to Altered States. This album is cool cuz I got the reissued version with a 2nd disc,that's a remix of 28 tracks,plus a hidden track if ya hold down the rewind button when you start the disc,same as the 1st disc,hooks down rewind & track #1 Will go into negative time,and that's a hidden track. Same rules apply on the reissued 2disc of PCP Torpedo...the original 6minute Pcp torpedo disc has an 11 minute song before the initial 6minute mini grind,just hold down rewind. Now,the quick album that is Altered States is actually 1 long 20 minute song,if you really read the lyrics & watch the tracks change & the counter,they change so quick it's hard to decipher where 1 ends & the next begins. The album is ferociois,hard hitting and sonically disorienting to the average listener. The more you play the CD the more you love it and can actually keep up with it. This is pure grind ! What else would ya expect from Scott Hull ? The first disc is just great & I can't say "this track is better than that,or track ##s is the best" just trust me. If you like AxCx or Pig Destroyer,or any other grind bands that are schizophrenic in sound and lyrics then this is perfect. The real craziness is how well constructed 100 separate tracks were so seamlessly put into place,and a story emerged. This isn't for the casual user/abuser,it's for the hardcore grind addicts...or maybe it's just the disc to get ya hooked. The guitars are frantic,the drum machine is the winner on here,it's been abused & put to good use because I can't think of a single human that could do these speeds. There is such ferocity in the vocal delivery. Now,to disc 2 the remixes. This is the remix disc that set in motion the remix of PCP Torpedo. This is more schizophrenic than the 100track original disc was,but it's more electronic & not just screaming. Each effect is supposed to target a different part of your brain,and it does a great job. The remix is great,the album is great. However if you want a bit of an easier approach to this bamd,if you are new to them,then check out Agorapocalypse because that album has,as I'll put it,more structured songs. There are 13 tracks,but there about 3 minutes max.those are more designed to be tracks to stick in your head & keep you moving. Granted,the Altered States CD is great,it's purely for people who are fans of this insanity. If you dig it then look no further. Ive reviewed every ANb CD on amazon,so if you want more reviews read em,I've hit em all. This 1 is hard to critique cuz it's just so quick and frantic that to me,it just seems like 1 insane 20 minute track,but it's been dissected into 100 on the player,so I cannot pinpoint,for example..."play track 83 for the best style vibe" just get it & grind away. Oh by the way,both discs aren't the 3" that will not play in car stereos or MAC comps,they are regular size discs,but they have their data in the center & the surrounding area of the disc is plastic that's all loaded with unique artwork. So they'll play in your car,so you can speed down the road with this cranked. It's good to annoy people with,or just soundtrack to destruction on the roads.
