Various Artists

Item: Terra Firma vs. The Atmosphere [Part 3 of the Cataclysm Singles]
Author: Unknown

Terra Firma vs. The Atmosphere [Part 3 of the Cataclysm Singles]

(1998)

Reviewed by Unknown

Discogs Apple Music

Label Blacklight RecordsDead Zine1998

dark ambient electronica industrial techno

Well Blacklight Records really knows how to save the BEST for last. Terra Firma vs. The Atmosphere marks the coming of the third and final CD in the Cataclysm Singles Boxed Set. Those of you who shied away from the first two CDs due to their ambient/darkwave styles are in for a shock to the system.

This release is packed with dark metallic industrial music. Guitar laden, super crunchy, thick distortion...everything you've always loved about the underground industrial sound is here. All going along with the top notch production that Blacklight is becoming synonymous with.

The CD starts off with Fatal Blast Whip offering a third glimpse of what to expect from the dark, terror filled realms of their experimental music. A full length release by them would certainly be an audio journey. We can only hope it comes soon. Next is Sever by Joshua Bourke, and this is probably one of the tamest tracks on the CD, which combines lots of synths (as usual for the genre) and very subdued almost hard to hear vocals.

Things pick up some with Bloodstained by Temple of the Times. A song as dark and brooding as its name. A Different Kind of Cop's track Concession continues to increase the tempo of the CD, this one really focusing on the drum tracks as a primary direction for the song. Later in the CD we hear F#9mm by Incorporated, yes the same Incorporated track that was on Escape the Furnace. It's a great song if you don't have ETF; if you do you will find yourself wishing they had a new track, but still it fits this CD quite well.

To avoid doing that whole boring track-by-track thing, lemme just throw out the other stand outs real quick. The Way Sect Bloom is always a nice addition to any comp., New Society kicks butt, globalwavesystem if you haven't heard them is amazing, Seek pulls off a crazy track with Revelation, Culture Whore is sonically destructive, Rackets & Drapes gives us Lullaby (I don't think this one is on their Candyland CD), and Shuriken closes out with a killer tune called Scorched.

A couple of surprises for me were the abrasiveness of Jagged Doctrine. The song on this CD is freaking heavy industrial just dripping with metal. Entitled So Inspired, this is definitely my favorite track on the disc. Then to really blow the lid off Blacklight gives us something special. A brand new Toxic Church track. That's right, the band you thought you'd never hear from again has one new song, and is apparently (from the tear sheets I got with the CD) recording for a new full length.

Industrial fans prepare yourselves and your senses. This CD is amazing. I've not been able to stop with this one!

9/10