Skullflower

The first incarnation of Skullflower ― Matthew Bower's most prominent vehicle for mind fracturing drone punishment ― was conceived within the power electronics scene that formed in the UK in the early '80s. Being an actual band that played instruments, albeit in a completely unique and dysfunctional manner, Skullfower stood apart from Whitehouse and the other power electronics groups. Shelved in 1996 and then re-established in 2003, Skullflower have constantly evolved, taking on whatever form Bower's singular vision has necessitated. Strange Keys is in line with the current direction of the project: seemingly endless outpourings of relentless guitar-based chaos. Over the course of two CDs, layers upon layers of static, distortion and feedback squall cast a thick black veil over subtle melodic passages. These sonic corpses, half-buried in the thick fog of textured noise, stick out just enough to make this lengthy recording a monolithic noise/drone masterpiece.