LUGOLA: The Truth Penetrates Your Mouth

Release year: 2023
Label: Zoharum

It’s honestly a bit tough to write about power electronics from time to time. Especially in the case of an act like Lugola and their second album The Truth Penetrates Your Mouth. (We reviewed the debut album You Are Not Special here.)

You see, on the one hand, they’re not very original at all. This is stuff you’ve heard before. On the other hand, that doesn’t mean it’s crap.

let me elaborate. Pop this in, and if you’re a fan of power electronics, you’ll find your way about instantaneously. The lower, throbbing and droning frequencies. The wailing higher frequencies. The constant crackle and whirr of broken distortion. The dirty sound, like a rusty blade cutting a jagged, painful wound in flesh. The misanthropic lyrics. All par for the course. There is no shortage of albums in a similar vein.

What is there to say about stuff like this?

Undeniably, the above sound like I’m dismissing the album as derivative and uninteresting. Which this is entirely wrong. Whilst not breaking much new ground, either for the genre or for the project, The Truth Penetrates Your Mouth is a more than competent, more than adequate piece of vicious, understatedly sadistic electronical punishment.

Like on the debut, Lugola aren’t the most abrasive, confrontational and explicit power electronics unit. They don’t puncture the eardrums with painful feedback and crush the listener with wanton brusts of chaotic noise. Rather – again, as on the debut – Lugola keep things in check, in control, and the maelstrom of chaos in reins. There is a controlledness about Lugola, which on occasion sees the album pass into death industrial territory.

But, as I’ve oft stated before, things are very much relational in harsh industrial electronics. To fans of any other musical genre, this will be pretty damn extreme and harsh. And on the atmospheric side, this certainly is oppressive, negative and hostile.

The one thing I’m a bit iffy about are the vocals, which are in a pronounced role on many a track. Sadly, they don’t sound particularly hostile, vicious or vitriolic, which does the overall impact a disservice. Certainly not enough to ruin the album – but give me a stereotypical angry man shouting from the top of his lungs with a distortion effect any day!

Otherwise, The Truth Penetrates Your Mouth is a fine addition to Lugola’s discography. It’s not a majaor step forwards, but neither is it a step backwards. Or sidewards. Or anywhere, really. Lugola continue to ply their trade with the same oeuvre and the same level of quality – which is certainly no negative remark.

Visit Lugola on Bandcamp or Facebook