THE RODEO IDIOT ENGINE 'Malaise' Gatefold LP

While most acts tend to soften with age, the band's work has only become darker over the years. Opener "Le Parfum" sets the tone, with merciless, spasmodic rhythms morphing into bleak, slow-paced heaviness and emotionally-charged vocals screamed to the breaking point. From the straight-up barrage of grinding yet melodic tracks ("Carrying Icons", "Final Relief") to more downtempo, menacing ones ("Syngue Sabour", "Thousand Of Nails"), «Malaise» is a dense album with rich atmospheres and structures. On these nine tracks THE RODEO IDIOT ENGINE's trademark sound has turned more expressive, resulting in nothing but the band's strongest material to date."