by Eduardo Rivadavia
Japanese underground icons Corrupted create droning, sludgy, painfully slow death/doom metal and ambient music along the same lines or should that be trenches? as bands like Earth, Boris, and Sunn O))). Formed in Osaka, Japan, circa 1994, the reclusive group is comprised of vocalist Hevi, guitarist Talbot, keyboardist Takehito, bassist Jose, and drummer Chew, and has issued an inordinate number of singles, EPs, split discs, and full-length albums over the years (including 1997s Paso Inferior, 1999s Llenando de Gusanos, and 2004s Se Hace por los Suenos Asesinos) but always under their own idiosyncratic terms. These include holding anything remotely resembling rock stardom in utter contempt, mysteriously writing all of their lyrics in Spanish, and refusing to even take promo shots, so that the only known images of the group are those snapped by fans at their concerts. Adding to this uncompromising reputation, Corrupted released a 70-minute piece of music as their fourth long-player, 2005s El Mundo Frio.