Leng Tch'e: or, death by 1,000 cuts. The ancient Chinese torture method, only outlawed as recently as 1905. That is what this record attempts to capture, sonically, and it's hard to imagine an album doing a better job. Leng Tch'e is a disturbing, heavy listen, consisting of one thirty-one minute avant-garde sludge metal song; essentially, the exact opposite of the genre-hopping that characterized the band's earlier work. While the song starts off with only guitar feedback and other background sounds, it develops into a slow, oppressively dark riff, and then Yamatsuka Eye is screaming and John Zorn's sax is squealing, and then... it's over. Leng Tch'e is an extremely difficult listen, but that is because of how well it captures its concept. Not a record to listen to every day, but one that accomplishes its mission.
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