This is a sublime meeting of the minds between two legends, and the result is a stunning cross genre masterpiece. UK dub/step titan Kevin Richard Martin (aka The Bug) and PNW metal pioneer Dylan Carlson initially linked up (via visual artist Simon Fowler) to collaborate on a track for 2014s Angels and Demons. Even though that album would be an all time classic full of star powered features, the pair knew this collaboration deserved more exploration and it’s own platform. Those tracks became 2014s Boa/Cold singles. Fortunately it doesn’t end there. The two reconvened a few years later in LA for a two day session that resulted in this truly incredible, wonderfully recorded and produced album.

There’s a strong Americana vibe to the tracks. They have aide open ambience and a post-industrial palette of sounds. The dub is deep and heavy but not overweight or overwrought. Martins contributions here resemble his ambient work under his own name as much as they do any dub work from The Bug. Carlsons guitar drifts in and out of drones and slow desert rock. It’s got a nice cinematic vibe which is not usually something I enjoy, but here it hits really nicely. It’s also worth a mention that there are two appearances from JK Flesh aka Godflesh here. They bring the energy back up a bit before the record comes to a very extensive and ambient finish.

This is a wonderful album that’s incredibly produced and recorded. You do kinda have to enjoy ambient, dub, and industrial to enjoy this record as the sounds it explores aren’t as fused as you might expect. Instead they sit in contrast to build ups and downs along an ultimately very engaging journey. Don’t forget to turn the volume up.