Noise is a genre that is often ignored in electronic music circles, owing to its abrasiveness and a perceived lack of meaning beyond its deliberate promotion of harsh sounds. While those in the know realise that this is not true - there has been truly resonant and stunning noise music produced globally over the years - there can be no better document to defend noise's reputation as an exhaustively sensitive, complex and fascinating genre than Prurient's expansive and utterly gorgeous double album Frozen Niagara Falls. Admittedly, this isn't pure noise in the mould of Merzbow or Pain Jerk. Rather, Prurient takes the inspirations of noise from these artists (along with the likes of Wolf Eyes) and fuses them with his own experiences in more melodic but equally dark side projects like Vatican Shadow. Traditional Snowfall fuses static industrial textures with glowing synths that wouldn't sound out of place on a Tangerine Dream album, while Dominick Fernow's heavily-distorted vocals drift incomprehensibly through the mix. Falling Mask is a punishing two minute beast, malfunctioning robots soundtracking a growled scream from the singer, while lengthier pieces like Greenpoint shock the system with plucked acoustic guitars, spoken word vocals, drifting synths and soundscaping beats that pan from channel to channel. The two parts of the title track, split across the second disc, sound like a broken communication device rebelling against its masters, a dark ambient static space that - rather than letting up - actually becomes more discordant as the piece reaches its conclusion. Jester In Agony is a real standout, with science-fictional synths offering delicate respite from the ravages of much of the vast record, while the soft title of Dragonflies To Sew You Up belies a pounding number that combines aggressive percussive pummelling with chiming synth sounds. Noise isn't for everyone, and nor should it be, but Prurient's take on the style features more innovative sounds and techniques than the genre has arguably produced in some time. This is his masterpiece, and it is one of the most cohesive and stunning noise albums of all time.
