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Critic Reviews
90
Not only does this record capture the force and rhythmic energy of a Pharmakon performance, it’s a stunning evocation and confrontation of a somatic experience of the times we live in.
6y
85
Devour is the first Pharmakon album which was recorded live in the studio, and there is a sense of organic creation to it which is pivotal to the ideas layered within. The warmth of the production separates this album from her previous three, perhaps even suggesting a sense of hope for humanity in the face of overwhelming odds which are stacked against us.
6y
80
Like everything else Pharmakon does, this is almost unbearably intense, but in a way that resonates deeply and is almost soothing, as if the only way to justify the horrors of living is to elevate one's self into the most chaotic state possible.
6y
80
She’s upped the ante even further than usual here, crafting abrasive, boundary-pushing music with such deft that you won’t understand why you’ll want to keep returning to it, in spite of its despicable design.
6y
80
Beyond the abrasiveness of the music, what's most affecting is how Chardiet allows you to experience constant sensory overload as a means of enlightenment.
6y
80
Devour overall is a punishing, malicious force of a record, one focused entirely on the eradication of any sense of self and musical procedure, with no room for reprieve.
6y
80
Pharmakon's devouring is whole and ugly, but it carries a rewarding narrative about the importance of suffering — we're eating ourselves alive, but we're also becoming stronger for it, each act of self-cannibalization and each listen to this album more like a single coil in an upward spiral of transcendence than a snake eating its own tail.
6y
79
With one of her most harrowing and powerful albums to date, Margaret Chardiet zeroes in on the locus where global horrors register on the individual.
6y
70
As a propulsive work, fueled by immediacy and intensity, Devour rejects the attempt to escape the body through the gear-consumed noise fetishist. It’s a reminder of the limits of the body as a site of power, strength lying within the body’s fight against the world that imposes limitations.
6y
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
If you've never heard of Pharmakon before, expect something terrifying. Pharmakon makes the abrasive and experimental efforts of others seem like peanuts as Margaret Chardiet shrilly screams over industrial tones and deafening droning. However, her music is also one of message, as each album has perhaps a lost theme that isn't always so on the surface outside of the artwork on the album. This release is about self-consumption, and the human ability to devour ... read more
It's sad that this bands' style is so cool and yet their song writing is so bad. You have a sound which can be used to make a legitimately haunting album and yet it is all ruined with the genuinely awful execution. This album is one of the most tedious listening experiences I've had this year.
It is definitely...something. Pharmakon has always been difficult to pin down. She churns out the harshest noise that somehow manages to work while at the same time sounding like it could fit easily in the Silent Hill soundtrack. Believe it or not this particular release comes across a bit toothless compared to the harshness of her previous works. It still retains her signature fury and cacophony...but it is not quite as vicious. If you are going to make music like this, go for the jugular, ... read more
Devour shows Pharmakon experimenting with more dynamic progression and layered industrial loops, though heavily effected vocals sometimes dilute the impact.
Read the full review: https://tridenttail.ca/youcanbemywave/reviews/pharmakon-devour
Devour ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Art Cover: 98 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Review: GOAT OF THIS GENERATION EVER!!!! GREAT COVER ALBUM I LOVE IT.
1.Homeostasis / 100 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
2.Spit It Out / 98 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
3.Self-Regulating System / 97 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
4.Deprivation / 95 ∞ ∞ ∞
5.Pristine Panic / Cheek by Jowl / 100 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
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Track List
| 1 | Homeostasis 4:07 | 82 |
| 2 | Spit It Out 7:32 | 83 |
| 3 | Self-Regulating System 6:22 | 80 |
| 4 | Deprivation 7:52 | 75 |
| 5 | Pristine Panic / Cheek by Jowl 10:12 | 74 |
Total Length: 36 minutes
