Love Sex Machine - Trve

2024-04-10 07:00:09

Patience is a virtue in the house Love Sex Machine. Their first and so far only album is eight years old and received a well-deserved re-release on the new label home Pelagic not long ago. Little has changed in the sound of the guys from Lille, they remained and remain true to pocket-sized brutal sludge with post-metal undertones, short, concise, brutal and at the same time as sarcastic as ever. That’s how it is and no other way „Trve“the title of the second release.

A powerful one-two punch at the beginning makes it clear relatively quickly where the journey should go. “Fucking Snakes” opens with a crisp riff and hoarse screams that lead down an unexpected breach path. The vocals become a bit more robust as time goes on, and the tempo can also be wonderfully slowed down in the second half, but these 190 seconds lose absolutely nothing of their power and intensity. In comparison, “Test26” sounds almost proggy, a bit cerebral and wonderfully raw, literally overwhelmed by an overabundance of distortion and deep black walls of heaviness. The French are heading towards ruin with all their eyes on them.

Hardly resurfaced, “Hollywood Story” almost suggests something like hope. Are these two-part harmonies that briefly emerge from the fog? The silver lining sparkles brightly, the reef cuts through your bones. In comparison, “Broken Code” seems almost dry and sober, as close to LLNN as it is rare and yet downright untouchable in the increasing mania. For “Canopy”, Love Sex Machine even try some blackened hardcore, which fits perfectly with the aloof and uncomfortable presentation. Leaden heaviness, misused melodic approaches and crusty Downfall Of Gaia come together.

“Trve” strives to churn out repulsive beauty. Love Sex Machine clearly love to offend the sludge and use their dirty, inky post metal with increasing enthusiasm to alienate swampy experience. Rare glimmers of hope give hope for relief that will never be fulfilled, everything around is rough and even unyielding. The French also serve all of this in a compact format, rarely exceeding the four-minute mark, and instead like to serve it repeatedly. The second album by the quartet from Lille is uncomfortable, full of cynicism and weird humor, and yet likes to get lost in the ugliness of existence – a likeable bit of world-weariness that you’re happy to work through.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: April 12, 2024
Available via: Pelagic Records (Cargo Records)

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