Originally written by Chris Redar
“Today we look up in the sky and we see just fantastic things; galaxies, clusters of galaxies stretching out all over the sky. But if the expansion is going to get faster and faster, eventually those galaxies will get pulled too far away for us to see. Space becomes an ever- less beautiful and rich place. The universe becomes a relatively lonely place.” – Steve Allen, astrophysicist, Stanford
That quote is in reference to the ‘Big Freeze’ theory (one of three scenarios astrophysicists use to envision the likely inevitable end of the universe): that dark energy, in direct opposition to gravity, is pulling the cosmos apart at an accelerated yet constant rate. Even beginning to fathom such a fate not only as individuals, or even for our planet as a whole, but for the entire known/unknown territory of space… It’s enough to make one want to crawl underneath the bed and just cower forever. Concepts like these are so bleak and horrifying to most human minds that they can create a total meltdown.
This is the general vibe instilled for almost the entirety of Multi-Dimensional Fractal Sorcery and Super-Science, the latest from mindfuckers extraordinaire Gigan. This album feels much more out of touch with humanity than its predecessor, Quasi-Hallucinogenic Sonic Landscapes. There isn’t anything that is instantly accessible like the latter’s “Suspended In Cubes of Torment”. In fact, there isn’t anything readily accessible anywhere. This is a true test of will against a machine that is much stronger than its opponent (in this case, the listener).
Let’s explore the ‘out of touch with humanity’ statement a bit further. This is far and away the most inorganic Gigan has ever sounded. Now, when I say ‘inorganic’, that isn’t meant to be construed as Multi-Dimensional… being ‘typewriter metal’. It’s far from it. The work put in by new sticksman Nate Cotton is frenetic and loose, and the production on the kit is a couple of notches above demo quality, giving them just the right amount of punch when the moment calls for it. ‘Inorganic’ in this case is a reference to the nearly fully detached nature of the material. Similar to the shift Commit Suicide had in production from Human Larvae… Earthly Cleansing to Synthetics, Multi-Dimensional… sounds like a warning from a dead future. “Beneath the Sea of Tranquility” opens with a pattern of sounds that wouldn’t have been out of place in the first encounter sequence from Contact and fades in with a riff that belongs in the next Terminator movie. These first nine minutes and ten seconds are what set the stage for the rest of the album– pummeling repetition and what seems like millions of tiny little effects just underneath the surface of band mastermind Eric Hersemann’s ever-shifting guitar, all used to bring the vast and empty coldness of this new ‘space’ to the forefront.
Also absent from Multi-Dimensional Fractal Sorcery and Super-Science are the somewhat calming interludes contained in some of the prime cuts from Quasi-Hallucinogenic Sonic Landscapes. What has been amped up in lieu of this breathing room is the brutality factor. Though they never slip into meathead territory, there are definite ‘open this pit up!’ type moments. “Electro-Stimulated Hallucinatory Response” contains one of the strongest moments of this ilk with a huge groove that wouldn’t have been out of place on Destroy the Opposition. These get to be a little too few as the album progresses, but further spins will reveal the purpose and intent behind this. I’m sure every review is going to make mention of this, and this one will be no different: this is NOT an album for the impatient. As of this writing, I am nearly sixteen listens in and I am still discovering little things I missed in previous go-rounds.
What wasn’t missed was the incredibly odd vocal production. Eston Browne is making his debut on the lungs of steel here, replacing John Collett. And there’s nothing wrong with his performance. What is strange is how it’s placed on the tracks. It’s like a ditch was dug into the guitar tracks that Eston’s voice was laid in and was then covered with more dirty riffing. Usually it creates no distraction whatsoever, but there instances where it sounds like there’s a screaming guitar. It’s possible that this is a further attempt to create a ‘through the void’ type effect. Taken in that context, it adds an entire new layer of creepiness to the whole affair. Occasionally, though, it just sounds like an afterthought. The run time is also right where it needs to be- 44 minutes is, coincidentally, exactly how many minutes of Gigan the human mind can deal with before it begins to liquefy, never to be capable of normal thought again.
This is the next logical step in Gigan’s evolution. If Order of the False Eye saw the band in its ‘human’ incarnation, then Quasi-Hallucinogenic Sonic Landscapes began the process of full mechanization. Multi-Dimensional Fractal Sorcery and Super Science is the machine those efforts built. There is certainly some visible damage on its hulking frame, but it’s not here for a beauty contest. It’s here to remind you that the end is coming, and it’s as bleak and hopeless as your tiny little mind will allow you to imagine.
