Sightings - Through The Panama

Sightings

Through The Panama

(10.2007, Load)

Verdict = Superb Sound But No Heart

Sightings previous excursions in free form no wave have been destructive to say the least, however, on Through The Panama the band has pulled out all the stops delivering their most coarse material to date. Completely drowning out contemporaries like Clipd Beaks and Liars in the noise category, Sightings take their version dance punk deep into the vast swamps of their grinding past. In doing so Through The Panama makes some gains as well as takes some losses. The gains are obvious; for sheer tonal aggression Sightings are untouchable, scorching the grounds on which their transmissions flow like blasts of napalm. With Through The Panama, Sightings are waging war on the ear drum. The loss accompanying such a greedy audio display is that of the soul. Now that may not be a loss for some; I mean this was most surely the plan from the beginning for the gruesome hipsters and the ends to which most of their fans seek them out. Maybe I just have a soft spot for a bit of humanity in my noise, despite the monstrosity that the music embodies. Here, underneath the monstrous exterior, everything seems cold and robotic. Again, just depends on what you are looking for. The album is absolutely thrilling; there is no doubt about that. It is just not very often that I feel that I’ll need such a dose of horror bustling through my speakers. This of course is meant as much as a compliment as it is a potential deterrent.

- Mr. Thistle

Sightings - Perforated