Meek Is Murder

The line between genius and insanity fascinates Brooklyn, NV noise lovers Meek Is Murder, who've situated their music as firmly as possible in this liminal space. The three-piece excel at incorporating elements of hardcore, noise, metal and grind, combining them with the experimental impulses of a medieval alchemist, one unconcerned if the results are poisonous or golden, as long as they're cool. Their latest EP continues their quest for musical mad science admirably. The five songs are each dedicated to, and titled after, characters from major science fiction franchises: Ellen Ripley and Hudson from Aliens, Marty McFly and "Doc" Emmet Brown from the Back To The Future films, and Captain Malcolm "Mal" Reynolds from Joss Whedon's Firefly/Serenity. The science fiction references and samples that litter the album serve to create an external structure, a conceptual framework that allows the music within to teeter at the precipice of madness, constantly threatening to devolve from schizophrenic intensity into pure discord, but never quite falling apart. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Out Of Gas)" is a high point, beginning with a slower, almost melancholy groove before fracturing apart into a scrambling, frantic chase. Meek Is Murder manage to hold their vast, shambling machine together for the entire eight minutes of this EP, which is a mighty accomplishment.