Review of End of Level Boss - Inside The Difference Engine

Turn around and quickly get the hell out of the warehouse. Now head around the building and pick up the flak jacket hidden behind the air-conditioning unit. Good. Ok, run back up the hill to your left and head across the parking lot; there’s a medical kit underneath that old picnic table next to the playground. Sweet. Equip your fully automatic XR540 percussion-rifle with bio-warp pulse grenades and start jabbing yourself with as many adrenaline injectors as you have. Right. Now you’re ready for The End of Level Boss. Head back to the warehouse and make sure you engage sneak mode the second you cross the first series of barrels. And I’d advise you stop shoveling Sun Chips in your mouth, fat-ass, you’re gonna need both hands to pound the hell out of that controller.

THERE HE IS!!

Oops…

Wow, you’re dead already? What the hell’s wrong with you? Did I mention you need to have your threat shield on level three before you go in there? No? Are you sure?? Huh. You sure got killed fast. *cough*PUSSY*cough*

London’s End of Level Boss is an entirely different beast compared to what you’re all used to fighting. No face-painted, hell-bent black metal maniac wielding a buzzsaw guitar here. No brutish death metal ogre waiting to pulpify your skull with a warhammer. No windmilling, microphone-eating hardcore kid punching loose the crust of the Earth beneath your feet. And despite the fact that I’ve read a number of articles tying these fellers to the sludge/doom family, this ain’t very typical of that breed either. This is…well…this is some weird shit right here, sports fans.

The short definition is this: Inside the Difference Engine is a heavily riff-ualistic endeavor that blasts across the desert sky in a spaceship manned by a flannel-sporting alien tripping his balls off while listening to Voivod. Strange? Yes indeedy. What that essentially means is this: you’re gonna hear a fairly heavy influence from the grunge rock/metal scene of yore on this record (musically and especially vocally). There’s evidence of early Soundgarden, the heavier end of Alice In Chains, and even a couple sloooower tunes that recall the (*ahem*) “doomier” end of the Willard – Steel Mill spectrum. So, if you happen to have a prejudice towards this particular time period, I’d advise you to steer clear of this monster and head into the next room. You’re also gonna hear flourishes of the more contemporary desert rock bands such as QotSA and Unida, especially when the riffs are less heavy and there’s more of an emphasis on psychedelics. And finally, there’s a nice, heavy pinch of the more angular, progressive influence of latter-day Voivod in the cauldron as well. Not quite as much as what was found on the band’s first record, but there nonetheless. Pound all these characteristics through the ol’ skull with an over-abundance of riffs-Riffs-RIFFS!!!, and you’ve got yourself a pretty good idea of what Inside the Difference Engine has to offer.

The kicker? This record ends with an immense tune. A HUGE tune. “Connortations” spirals a mile up into the vast, open sky like a mammoth swarm of locusts preparing to assail a city filled with unsuspecting inhabitants. BUM-BAH!! BUM-BUM-BAH!!! Dunah-dunah-dunah-dunah-dunah-dunah-dunah-dahhhh-BUM-BAH!! WHA-BUM-BAH!!!! There’s really no weapon within your arsenal suitable to defend against this hulking closer. You’re screwed. Well, unless, of course, you do what I suggest you do in regards to this particular End of Level Boss -- don’t fight it! Join it! Set aside your biases, open your mind, and enjoy the bloody ride. Inside the Difference Engine is interesting, very enjoyable, and certainly something I’ll be revisiting over the years. Recommended.

Release Details

End of Level Boss

Inside The Difference Engine

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