The knives are sharpened again. 2004 saw an enormous quantity of Xasthur releases, much to the delight of his misanthropic following and much to the irritation of his critics. Hence 2005 was a period of relative quiet with regard to outings by Xasthur’s Malefic, with the exception of various vinyl re-releases of previous albums, sometimes bordering on the excessive (what to think of a vinyl re-issue of Nocturnal Poisoning, appearing in no less than four (!) different coloured editions — all being very limited, of course). It could not help but make some folks accuse the record label involved of cynical wankery regarding their "underground" release policy.

Now, with the definitive version of Subliminal Genocide, we have another escapist’s wet dream of monsoon proportions. Here are four examples: Blackness envelopes you in a slow and churning piece like "Trauma Will Always Linger," with a solemn and hypnotic metallic guitarbuzz and the liberating shrieks that are truly able to convey emotion, as opposed to those who merely use it as a gimmick.

Another masterpiece is "The Prison of Mirrors," which, believe it or not, sees Malefic initially doing a bit of a tango rhythm on the hi-hat ("may I have this dance, my lady?"). It is a monumental piece nearly 13 minutes long, ranking among the longest of his songs. In a case such as this it becomes evident that Malefic has become more proficient and subtle in creating an engaging development within a longer song structure. There are clearly distinguishable sections that change into other ones before the attention span can weaken, making you forget how quickly 13 minutes seem to pass by. The song is a very strong and chilling piece that shows that Xasthur is moving forward and not just ruminating his pre-digested compositions (of which some accuse him, and sometimes rightly so).

"Subliminal Genocide," the title track, is as grim as "Prison" is melancholic. Without mercy, the song starts whipping you at a galloping 3/4 rhythm with a melody reflecting a profoundly hateful vibe, subsequently plunging into a grinding slo-mo 4/4. Towards it’s conclusion, the song is waltzing sadly to the end like the Grim Reaper dancing over the corpses of all nations.

The album’s closer, "Malice Hidden in Surrealism," feels a bit like an afterthought, especially as it takes a while before the (possible) idea takes shape. A simple left/right channel guitar combination forms the axis around which several layers are wound. Next, a gradual dissonance sets in with the left channel guitar functioning like a beacon in the fog of severe alienation. This "beacon" is eventually taken over by a minimalistic buzzing melody that brings a certain sense of relief, like some sort of struggle has come to an end. This effect could have been stronger had this track’s fade-out been longer and less cut-off, but this detail does little harm to Subliminal Genocide overall.

Subliminal Genocide is definitely a step onward (not nescessarily forward) after the equally excellent To Violate the Oblivious. Fans may buy this one with confidence while looking forward to the inevitable vinyl version with one or two extras. Beauty is only razor deep. (8/10)