Science Man – II LP + Flexi 7″ (Swimming Faith / Big Neck Records)

After the Match Game 7″ comes the second full-length recording by Science Man. Once again, John Toohill proved there are no boundaries when it comes to writing and publishing everything in the true spirit of the DIY ethos. We all know that prolific artists are becoming repetitious or losing quality during mass production, but Toohill somehow manages to stay relevant with every project he crossed the path with over the years. He continuously evolves as an artist and usually pushes the limits of extreme underground music even further. Recently, he published a brand new full-length recording under his moniker Science Man. Expect nothing but an energetic performance by a very talented artist.

This particular material represents a second full-length by Science Man, and it seems to me like things have drastically changed for better between the previous Match Game 7” and this full-length. Don’t get me wrong, Science Man always sounds incredibly good. Match Game filled the gap between the full-lengths, and it’s undoubtfully a 7″ record that deserves your attention but wait till you hear this material. II offers a detailed approach to the nineties noise rock sound, heavily decorated by the late eighties industrial and hardcore music. This time, Science Man thoroughly explores the fundamentals of a noise rock sound, so you’ll notice delicate chord progressions, accentuations, and guitar shreds. However, you may also hear generous portions of fierce industrial sound, perfectly layered onto noise rock foundations. Besides industrial, you’ll stumble upon some hardcore rhythmic segments, which are serving enormous dosages of dynamics throughout the entire album.

These chaotic melodies, grimy harmonies, and precise rhythmic backgrounds are harmoniously getting along. There are layers of abrasive sounds lurking above the actual chord progressions, but you’ll hear all the tones and strumming over the strings during the album. I adore how Science Man achieved that particular sound, where you can detect all the chopping performed on the guitar. The entire material levitates between polished and abrasive tones, unified into a profoundly combined collection of dynamic numbers. John Toohill nailed it once again, and I can’t wait to hear his future sonic endeavors, which will undoubtfully sound incredible according to what I heard on this album. II takes the best affinities of the extreme underground music scene and takes it on a new level.

Just like its predecessor, this material comes with eye-peeling abstract cover artwork. The back cover carries a tracklist and label logos. Inside you’ll find a lyric sheet and a beautiful poster that completely follows the aesthetics. It’s good to mention that II also comes with a bonus square flexi 7″ record. Head over to Swimming Faith or Big Neck Records Bandcamp pages and preserve a copy of this extremely limited LP.