Gezoleen
Black Spaces Between Stars
3.8
Gezoleen – experimental noise outfit that is the brainchild of the prolific Jeff McLeod... Unfortunately, Black Spaces Between Stars is quite possibly one of the most off-putting releases I’ve encountered in recent times, almost as if it wants me to hate it. While this one-man project turned four-man band fits in with the Acerbic Noise roster based on definition alone, the label offers far more rewarding albums in the form of Ganon’s In the Dead of Sleep and Hematovore’s Untitled.
Touching on noise, drone, industrial, electronica, doom, sludge, et cetera, Gezoleen are at the very least an irritating bunch. Aside from the dissonance, the vocals are what mar Black Spaces Between Stars in compositions like “To Paint a Man,” “Sydthy,” and every subsequent song. “The Pillow over the Face Corporation” is innocuous, however, due to the absence of vocals, but it doesn’t help that the recordings are intentionally drenched in static, and in effect buzz louder than a hive of bees. So no matter which of the nine tunes you choose to listen to, there’s always a grating, unshakable characteristic that ruins any chance of painless enjoyment.
BSBS is not completely devoid of charming moments, however. The senseless chanting in “Sydthy” is humorous and consequently endearing, the whole of “Interspecies Disappointment” is promising, and the downtrodden nature of the title track is spot-on in its conveyance of melancholy. For those interested, the hidden track is a lengthy cover of The Dazzling Killmen’s “Code Blue.”
In the end, Gezoleen are unbelievably divisive, and even people who normally indulge in this kind of shtick have their work cut out for them with Black Spaces Between Stars. The term “experimental” implies the chance for success or failure, and this is an example of the latter. Maybe this flew over my head, but I know what I like, and this ain’t it.
