There is a context in which lies a fine line between discriminating between music that tries to define itself for the sake of being cathartic and music that attempts to be an antithesis to what music represents in general. For the sake of most listeners the process never gets that deep. Something either sounds good or it doesn't. There is no deeper meaning to it. They just want to dance to it, or have their lifestyles reinforced by it.

When you have a band like Wolf Eyes on their SubPop release Burned Mind most people would think that that something is wrong with their cd player. It's just a bunch of noise that anyone could play.

However, if we look at the generational response to music, when rock and roll was first introduced to the music scene it got a similar response. So where does noise fit into all of this and how does one gauge the quality of this type of work?

Looking into the history of this matter, you have foundations in John Cage and Brian Eno, but more currently we look to Japan for the likes of the Boredoms and Merzbow who have brandishing this particular style of noise for over 20 years. We can look to Suicide and Throbbing Gristle, as well as their counterparts like Coil and Soviet France. It has been a steady underground revolution breeding that Wolf Eyes has been a part of since 1997.

They have a good understanding of how to abuse electronics to deliver forth a unique representation of chaos. It has the apocalyptic undertones of the aforementioned Merzbow, with some of the rhythmic qualities of Suicide or Throbbing Gristle.

How does it compare to these other acts? Is it adding anything to take it to the next level? Not really.

Those aforementioned bands take the approach of noise to a different level instead of keeping it in the past. Noise acts like Harry Pussy, Cock E.S.P. and the Haters incorporate a conceptual necessity that pushes the boundary of what it take to define music for it's own sake.

Noise for cathartic purposes (like Merzsbow) serves it's purpose well. This Wolf Eyes record stops just short of that. What it does do well is bring this mentality to a broader audience, a feat in and of itself.