ReView: Curse Mackey – Instant Exorcism1

Curse Mackey
Album: Instant Exorcism
Category: Darkwave / Industrial
Label: Negative Gain Productions
Release Date: 2019-05-10

It’s strange to think that given his extensive history with such bands as Evil Mothers, Pigface, and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Curse Mackey hadn’t released a solo album prior to Instant Exorcism… but better late than never. Not the sort of artist to stick to one sound or style, Mackey pulls all the stops to craft an album that immerses the listener in a darkly rhythmic and abrasive sonic environment. Slower songs like “Dystopian Dope” and especially the opening “Submerge” with their resonant throbs of bass and synth and the latter track’s chilling guitars of Clan of Xymox’s Ronny Moorings creeping through the speakers with Mackey’s voice floating somewhere between menace and despair; the same can be said of “Dangerous Sleeper,” the languid tempo akin to trip-hop along with the whispering verses and harmonized impassioned chorus making for the album’s most haunting tracks. Other songs take on a more energetic pace, from the crystalline synths and breaks of “Blowmindr” to the strident bass and ambient swells of “O’Blasphemy” and “After You, Destruction,” while the layers of sustained distortion, steely acoustic guitar, and twinkling pianos on “Concubinary (Bone In the Throat)” serve to enhance what is one of the album’s catchiest moments, Mackey even oohing in a convincing falsetto at one moment. Oh, speaking of catchy, the unabashed dance floor fury of songs like “Somewhat Possessed” must qualify as one of the artist’s proudest moments as it’s simply a perfect blend of industrial, EBM, and synthwave, leaving “A War to Call Home” to end the album with the mechanical warbles of noise and crashes of samples, sound effects, and cold narration to create a soundtrack to a futuristic wasteland. With the assistance of co-producer Chase Dobson, Mackey manages to create a singular artistic identity on Instant Exorcism, distinct from his past work – no easy feat for someone with a resume such as his.
 
Track list:

1. Submerge
2. O’Blasphemy
3. Somewhat Possessed
4. Concubinary (Bone In the Throat)
5. Dystopian Dope
6. Blowmindr
7. After You, Destruction
8. Secrets of the Resurrection
9. Dangerous Sleeper
10. A War to Call Home
11. Somewhat Possessed [Extended Club Mix]

 
Curse Mackey
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Negative Gain Productions
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Ilker Yücel (Ilker81x)