Zweizz & Joey Hopkins – Zweizz & Joey Hopkins

Those who caught Zweizz on his Ulver opening slot recently can testify that he is not a force to be taken lightly, prone as he is to pouring sinister white noise over his listeners like molten lead. While his latest collaboration with Joey Hopkins (of Midget factory infamy) isn’t upping the ante any, it’s not shying away from his confrontational past either. Even if Hopkins’ inclusion has allowed more melody into the mix, it’s still often swamped by Zweizz’ perverse aggression.

dWill 2 dPower is the musical equivalent of watching the Bolshoi ballet perform in the middle of a firefight, waves of dramatic synth overshadowed by a pulverising wash of static, while Ulver’s Kristoffer Rygg adds his own emotion-laced touch to the vaudevillian weirdness of The Goat. With the exception of a rare touch of restraint in closer No Clue, featuring Virus’ Czral in possibly his most human performance ever, this is a brutally terrifying trip into the mind of one of Norway’s most unconventional figures.