seven

All Things Are Connected opens with a calm, two minute stretch of beatless wandering ambience, as though J. Smith had lost his gadgets, guitars and ferocious animosity and this was the sound of him slowly searching for where he last left these essential Schiziodian ingredients. Being familiar with this Canadian digital hardcore project I knew better than to fall for this, and braced myself for impact. Sure enough, the title track exploded with 100 mile-per-hour beats, processed riffs and the intense snarls that inject the angst into Schizoid's clash of electronics, guitars and confrontational piss 'n vinegar. In case you're not getting it, this is very extreme music. Rough around the edges and poised for aural attack.

This lengthy, chaotic, hyperactive, noisy disc can be draining when taken in a single dose. I call it 'bad day' music: for those who are into it it's a great way to vent after a bad day, and for everyone else simply listening to it will probably be enough to induce bad day. With All Things Are Connected Schizoid succeeds at pushing away from the DHR camp and coming full force into his own sound... and what a harsh, to the point, in your face sound it is.