Halogen

First vinyl release of the classic Whitehouse album Halogen, originally released as a CD on the Susan Lawly label in 1994. Tracks are: Vulgar (William Bennett), Lightning Struck My Dick (William Bennett/Jim Goodall/Peter Sotos), Movement 1994 (William Bennett), Dictator (William Bennett), Halogen (William Bennett/Peter Sotos), and The Way It Will Be (William Bennett). Recorded at Electrical Audio in Chicago by Steve Albini and William Bennett, December 1993; remastered and cut by Noel Summerville. Artwork by Trevor Brown. Audiophile 180-gram vinyl in stunning gloss-laminated sleeve. [Part of] Whitehouse's most idiosyncratic, and therefore most compelling phase in their 26-plus years of activity... with probably their most musical and understated (in relative terms, of course) works... Once again Bennett is assisted by Peter Sotos lyrically, resulting in some of the more complex vocal themes up to that point, while the synthesizers are just awash in a sort of gauzy reverb that smoothes out the cleaner sound, likely due to the Steve Albini production. It is still by no means peaceful, but has a more introspective feel compared to their other work. The almost pleasant synthesizer sounds from Never Forget Death are but gone, replaced by unique analog textures that would reappear splendidly on Quality Time. -Brainwashed