Noise: 1-800-Babylon - ...And Hatred Took Ahold of Me (2023)

60 / 100

Abstract, sandstorm-like noise with a few eerie touches. Interesting as an underground curiosity, but not especially memorable.

Let’s move into the quieter side of noise with the project 1-800-Babylon.

1-800-Babylon chooses to hide their identity and has privated their two releases on Bandcamp. ... And Hatred Took Ahold of Me is their first EP/demo, released on June 21, 2023, featuring five tracks with a total runtime of 18 minutes.

The EP cover shows a blurry/grainy image, but it’s still somewhat decipherable. To me, it looks like a photo of two people having sex, with a black figure resembling a ghost standing beside them. I’m not entirely sure what message they intended to convey through this cover, though so it’s still unclear to me.

The musical characteristics are rather abstract, and honestly, it’s hard to describe them precisely. It’s noisy, yes but not to the ear-shattering level. If I had to compare, the sound resembles a sandstorm, which fits best with the opening track, the third, and the closing track.

The final track features metallic and percussive hits, while the third track, “Squandered,” includes echo effects. The fourth track, “Host Desecration,” presents harsh signal-like noise with a slight surge halfway through. Meanwhile, “Quadrumvir” is the shortest and lowest-sounding track, containing strange whispering that gives it a horror-like atmosphere if you listen closely.

Overall, I didn’t find any particularly striking elements in this release. Maybe there’s some appreciation for the second track, “Quadrumvir,” thanks to my small effort, but aside from that, it’s fairly minimal.

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