David Brenner keeps releasing material, and I keep writing about it as I love the work he undertakes as Gridfailure, even though I am at a loss to explain exactly why! Here he has joined forces with S.C.R.A.M. (Safety Control Rod Axe Man), which is the solo project of Oakland, California-based musician Pranjal Tiwari who is known for his work with the long-running cult doom metal band Cardinal Wyrm. Here we have five pieces from Pranjal, and four from David, switching throughout, which allows us to hear the differences between these two avant-garde experimental musicians. Recorded during the great lockdown of 2020, on opposite sides of the country, the concept behind this release is to have two images of the same mirror, reflecting each other but also being very different while also being closely related.
The S.C.R.A.M. portion of is a journey from the exterior to the interior, based around the event of a catastrophic nuclear reactor meltdown, while with Gridfailure it is already too late as we are in the post-apocalyptic world, he is so good at portraying. The musicians may not be in the same room working together, but there is no doubt there has been collaboration as the tracks were being developed as each musician provides contrast to the other, lifting the elements contained within, so that each feels more powerful. It may only be 26 minutes in length, but there is a presence and edge within this which is both compelling and frightening, with both musicians pushing the boundaries of music and where we want to be taken. I look forward to hearing more from S.C.R.A.M. in the future while I know there is more Gridfailure just around the corner. Search this out on Bandcamp and allow your mind to be taken in very different directions indeed.
Rating: 8/10
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