Angel Guts: Red Classroom

Named after a Japanese erotic noir film and called "the sound of Xiu Xiu’s death" in its press materials, Angel Guts: Red Classroom synthesizes the sounds of ’60s electronic music avatars Silver Apples, ‘70s art-damage punks Suicide, and early industrialists Einsturzende Neubauten and Throbbing Gristle, along with the darkest and most extreme impulses resting inside Xiu Xiu leader Jamie Stewart. Even if a portion of the proceedings were done for shock value, it should still court a real reaction from listeners. If you're willing to surrender and experience, you'll discover cathartic empathy in the music of the rapid-fire “Stupid in the Dark,” the splattered and angry “Black Dick," and the pulse-racing “The Silver Platter,” where even the harmonies are slurred and stuttered for maximum effect. It’s important that listeners be versed in the shockwaves of Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop” to better know how these sounds will be taken from a group that previously had deconstructed the Nina Simone catalog. There's no middle ground; no easy melodies or pop elements to soothe the blow. This is brutal and loud.