Search - Stray :: Abuse By Proxy (Ltd)

Bleeding, Naked, Aggressive Femininity

codexwyrm | Seattle, WA United States | 06/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Abuse by Proxy stands out as the first album by Erica as a true artist. Contrary to appearances, all of the aggression of Unter Null is here as well, but, inspired through experiences of sadness, loss, betrayal, and nihilism, is expressed in a naked, bleeding femininity that's honest, refreshing, and rare. You could look at Unter Null as Erica's stage face, her persona for playing with the boys, and this one as her real.



The production here is fantastic, with every song sounding rich and multidimensional. It conjures an overall feeling of delirium and loneliness, a solitary trip on acid and a face full of absinthe. Worth noting is this is an album completely bereft of filler. The drums in Intoxicate are surprising and intelligent. The melodies and bass lines in Lost Command are reminiscent of a Front Line Assembly instrumental, and the vocals in Break Me Free make it easily the best song on the album. I never would have guessed Erica has a vocal range like she demonstrates here...after hearing this another Unter Null album of straight growling and screaming would be f___ing criminal. I don't know who the hell Mothboy or Keef Baker are, but their remixes are as good or better than the originals, and compliment the album perfectly. Trip-hoppy indeed.



I mentioned the vocals, and it stands as the best part of the album throughout, growling convincingly, singing beautifully, and monotone when it needs to be to maintain the nihilistic feel and focus on lyrical meaning. It also stands as the only gripe, which is that it is always just a step too far in the background. Her voice deserves a professional recording studio."