I Am Upset Because I See Something That Is Not

これまでも多彩な名義でカオス極まりないディスコグラフィーを築き上げてきたシカゴの女性プロデューサー / ソング・ライターANGEL MARCLOIDによるプロジェクトFIRE-TOOLZ。
様々な名義、コラボレーションを経て加速し続けるプロジェクトが通算5作目となるニューアルバムをリリース。ニューエイジ風味のシンセサイザーが奏でる至福のサウンドの中にハーシュノイズ・テクスチャーが炸裂し、スクリーモと超テクニカルなジャズフュージョンで幕を閉じる、これぞFIRE-TOOLZ!な音楽性が展開されています。

I am upset because I see something that is not there. can be thought of as a more streamlined version of Fire-Toolz, following the 78-minute opus Eternal Home. While not as long, its just as densely packed with ideas. At this point, Angel Marcloids unruly genre fusions have long moved past the point of seeming like random juxtapositions -- her distinctive musical language is well established, and her listeners are well accustomed to hearing smooth jazz sax solos in the middle of digital prog-metal suites with shrieked lyrics referencing Buddhist teachings. That said, her music has never been more tightly focused, and the entire album is an enriching experience. "I Couldnt Have Been BoRn At ThE wRoNg TiMe Because I Was Never Even Born LOL!" encapsulates the albums tone, with choppy breakbeats, catchy vocal melodies, clean singing as well as black metal growling, and E-Z listening saxophone. "The Great Allower" is some of the most brutal, angular avant-metal Marcloid has created, and its followed by the glacial dream pop drift of "Gleam Beam." "Everything & Everywhere Is a Divine Mirror" is relatively friendly and upbeat, but "Above All Else I Want to See" is a disorienting soundscape framing an existentialist inner conversation. The album ends with something close to a power ballad, in which Marcloid admits "Most days Ive got no idea" -- a statement directly at odds with her prolific work rate and level of creativity. ~ Paul Simpson