I had fairly High expectations for this release being a huge fan of the Steelwork Maschine label and they were both met, and very much exceeded. Neon Rain has put forth a masterpiece with the double-disc release 'We Are Meat/The Vultures.'

'We are Meat' is essentially a single piece, divided into 7 'songs.' The entire disc slowly makes its way through only a single set of lyrics; a declaration of disgust aimed at the world of corporate slavery. It especially hits the nail on the head in its chanting of 'we are meat' at the final movement.

It starts out very simply with a single recurring distorted bass tone. It doesn't hit you immediately over the head, but slowly chips away at your sanity, eventually trickling in variation, including random sounds, manipulated field recordings, and Jeffrey Dahmer testimonials. It's here that the simple request is made of the listener which by the following track begs us to 'abandon all hope. ' As the disc progresses we're taken through a great range of genre bending aural assaults. It remains noisy throughout, channeling through harsh tones to more abstract textures, but certain sections take you completely by surprise with martial elements including brooding, chugging, heavy guitar rhythms accompanied by the unexpected but very enjoyable industrial vocal stylings of yesteryear.

'The Vultures' sees a bit of a break in the noise, though not completely, so fear not. It offers more melodies, more diverse genre crossovers, and a bit more 'traditional' (and I use the term very loosely) arrangement, while at the same time maintaining that abrasive 'take no prisoners' edge to it. The listener is offered tastes of feedback, strings, synths, Laibach inspired growls, and percussion that is perfect for marching. And even the most accessible and pop-y points of the cd are bathed in just the right amount of noisescapes and mayhem. The lyrics continue to project that martial mindset very effectively stressing at times that 'we are rats' and at others that 'we are the words: we are the lies.' The lyrical content throughout both discs is intense and perfect and incredible. Neon Rain has got the formula DOWN, and are making sure everyone knows it. Don't let this one pass you by.