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Unter Null
The Failure Epiphany

Alfa-Matrix

Posted: Friday, March 31, 2006
By: Vlad McNeally

After the Sick Fuck EP, I’ll admit I missed the hooks many found within Unter Null’s initial single. While it definitely fit well within the ‘endzeit electro’ niche alongside brutal electronic acts like Psyclon Nine and Hocico, it did not feel to me like Erica Dunham’s project had achieved its own unique voice. With The Failure Epiphany, I realize I completely underestimated her talents. The important word in its title is certainly not ‘failure;’ I have seen the light and am now aware of exactly why this project has been hailed as a revelation by some.

Initially, Unter Null was ‘the female equivalent of Suicide Commando,’ but that is selling Dunham’s work quite short. While there are certainly moments of grind house EBM like the acerbic, pulsating, and profanity-laced “Sick Fuck,” there is an overshadowed variety that some may miss when hearing such a comparison. Once one peels back those first acidic layers, The Failure Epiphany resembles something more like an acrobat. While this sonic athlete can manage endzeit feats, it surprises by flipping through moments of sinister synth, twirling into spotlights of dark atmospheres, and pirouetting amidst breakbeats. Even starting with the instrumental opener, “Bloodlust,” one can witness glassy shimmers of churning blasts of breaks and rail-gun snares, and tendrils of reptilian flanged synth. A throbbing fuzzy loop is in the root of “Martyr,” wherein Dunham’s sour vocals molt into a bestial gurgling whisper upon the entry of frenetic razor-sharp arpeggios and a backing chorus of cloned organs. “Destroy Me” paints a goth portrait with a razor-wire brush, while thick flat arpeggios spin steadily beneath nihilistic growls, ghostly howls, and macabre harpsichord-like refrains giving depth to its shadows. Additionally, the brief peeks of emotionally crushed clean vocals find some humanity within this monster. Starting with a deep baying tone of a dying siren, “Scilence” trudges forth with a steam engine rhythm and spine-tingling haunted house synths, with vocals like the hoarse sneer of a bitter apparition. A harpy-like sample from Mommie Dearest serves as a fantastic intro to “You Have Fallen From Grace,” a moody morsel whose heartbeat is driven by astral trance, the tender tinkle of sci-fi notes juxtaposing instrumental tenderness to Dunham’s fading vocals. When its explosive snare line enters, the piece metamorphoses into a diabolic yet majestic stomp similar to that found in a :Wumpscut: ballad. The album version of “Your Nightmare” commands one to destroy their local dance floor by way of its hypnotic fluttering bass line, ferocious hi-hat, and monstrous vocals, yet stoic orchestral strings and eerie plucked synths evoke the horror beneath its titanic war drum stomp. Lastly, the rollicking electric guitar licks and galloping horseback beats presented alongside a slow sigh of strings within “Feed the Lie” also deserves a mention.

In closing, I urge those who falsely perceive Unter Null to be just another band riding the harsh EBM trend to investigate this debut. It’s odd that the chosen single was a piece that I once found as alright but not noteworthy, yet now its aggression has a context that it lacked on its own. The Failure Epiphany is more than just a strong debut; it sees Unter Null starting with a sprint, coming shoulder to shoulder with those who started this musical race before her.