わたしだけ？[Watashi dake?]

Wretched, unnerving, agonizing. Thats how I would describe [Watashi Dake?]. Had me genuinely flinching at certain moments 😭. The first track especially. Keiji's voice is so grating and accompanied with the subtle white noise to fill in the silence, it makes for quite the chilling experience. Creeped me tf out.

I was worried that the album would be much like the first track with barely anything going on, but luckily this record is sprawling with guitars that sound like their being strummed by an extraterrestrial. Not sure if that one made sense but I'll run with it, lol. In other words, chaotic, sometimes rhythmic, sometimes almost ritualistic sound completely free improvised by Keiji.

And it sounds totally out of its mind. Keijis vocals are so intrusively uncanny due to the specific production and truly unnerving instrumentals. "I can't do it properly" being a stand out for me. I have no idea how he even got a guitar to sound like that, but it does sound really fucking sick!! Some other songs remined me a bit of early Sonic Youth in their No-Wave era.

Although this technically isn't apart of the main album I guess, the bonus track, "Devotion" is hands down the best noise song I have heard thus far. Clocking in at about 28 minutes of just pure earcandy worth of noise. I've tried Merzbow, Instruments Disorder, and hell, even the noise wall on Into the Endless night that I listened to on full volume once, (DO NOT RECOMMEND 💔) and yet nothing has hit as hard as this track for me.

There are so many different cool moments with the guitar, Keiji hits these blaring notes that cascade into pure chaos. The fact that this song is all improvisational too is just jaw dropping. Front to back it is a masterpiece of really well done, disastrous guitar work. Kicked total ass. Also very rewarding after finishing the main part of the album.

Can't think of much else to say, so yeah thats abt it. I don't really know much about Keiji Haino as an artist but I'm thinking after this listen I'll definitely delve deeper into who he is and maybe more of his music. If he can cook that crazy on the bonus track, I'm sure he has some other great music just waiting to be listened to! Thoroughly enjoyed this record.

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Favorite Tracks: Rise From the Dead, I Can't Do It Properly, Even if I Break Through and the bonus track, Devotion.

Least Favorite Tracks: My Refuge (too scary 👻) and I Want To Return.