Teargas & Plateglass

Black Triage

[3.5/5]

From its bleak packaging to the manifesto included in the liner notes, it’s painfully clear the second disc from forward-thinking hip-hop unit Teargas & Plateglass is not the thing to put on to get the party started. Black Triage is a concoction of ambient drones, beats and edgy soundbites that evokes a landscape devoid of light, beauty and justice. The disc’s 12 tracks carry more implied terror than the most extreme confines of metal or industrial rock, with “songs” like “A Book Of Black Valentines” and “Pray For Night To Fall” seemingly influenced by current events as diverse as ecological disaster, African genocide and corrupt politicians. Of course, none of those topics are literally spelled out, but those listeners who consider films like Blade Runner and Children Of Men “pick-me-ups” have found a new reason to live. (WAXPLOITATION) Jason Pettigrew