'Christ Knows’ by Toll [CSR66CD]

BILLED as old-school British Industrial, ‘Christ Knows’ originally appeared on Broken Flag in 1986 as both an LP and cassette. Gary Mundy’s esteemed label hasn’t released anything since 1989, but was renowned for show-casing a host of talent by groups such as Skullflower, Controlled Bleeding, Con-Dom, Ramleh and various others. In fact, it’s fair to say that Toll – comprised of Matthew Frith, Tim Soar and Gary Mundy - were a Ramleh side-project. This 2007 edition has been re-mastered by Attrition’s Martin Bowes, contains three additional bonus tracks and the cover is a darkened blue-grey of stone shafts, dimly-lit passageways and heavy plant machinery. The ‘Introduction’ is a brief, reverberating oilcan which gradually evolves into a muffled brass section and a drawling sample about graveside mortality. ‘Broken Frame’ is excellent. The agonised vocals sound rather like a cross between Nick Saloman and Nick Cave and are sandwiched between a heavy bass guitar and Zag Ring’s unremitting cymbals. The ominous rumbles and sparks of ‘As We Live and Breathe’ are very much before their time and I’m sure this will have influenced a whole generation of power electronics artists, although it’s comparatively laid-back when compared to some of the more contemporary examples of this genre. The ambient swirls and use of rambling voice-samples are nicely-placed, as are the knee-trembling 80s basslines. The much shorter ‘Perfecting Naivety’ is assisted by Pacific 231 and is a constant, trippy echo that employs various discordant shudders and tones, whilst the booming, Sabbethesque bass of ‘Brute Freeze’ is like a precursor of classic Doom. The electronics here are performed by former label-mates Controlled Bleeding and there are some unusual harmonies to give the whole thing a truly satanic feel. ‘Out From Your Shell’ provides another demonic bassline and the hysterical vocals are massively influenced by Throbbing Gristle. The accompanying racket sounds like someone trying to play the cello with a hedge-trimmer. ‘Matter of Fact’ opens with a nursery-rhyme melody that allows you to recover for a moment or two until the pained vocals return with a more restrained voice singing the simultaneous chorus. Jangling wind-chimes and a wall of ambience greet the arrival of ‘Parched’, although this time the bass is more erratic. Again, there are two sets of vocals used here: one verges on Hadley-style New Romanticism, whilst the other whispers menacingly and then chokes on its own laughter amid a congealed maelstrom of electronic fusion. The sludge-style bass used for the title-track, ‘Christ Knows’, resembles a heavy version of ‘Shadowplay’. In fact, if it wasn’t for the untimely demise of Ian Curtis you could almost imagine a more ambitious and experimental Joy Division producing something along these lines had they survived well into the mid-80s. Indeed, it’s well known that Curtis was already exploring the possibilities of this genre prior to his death. A great track. ‘Unfinished’ was originally the final track on the LP and cassette versions of this album, and it’s a combination of Hank Marvin guitar and Industrial barrage that sounds like someone built an ammunitions factory in Dodge City. ‘Radio Moscow’, the first of three bonus tracks, is a move away from the earlier style of Toll and the bass guitar sounds like something borrowed straight off a Stranglers album. However, the clever use of electronics acts as a reminder that this is not one of your standard 80s recordings. The rhythmic beat of ‘There Must Be More Than This’ has a slightly tribal ring to it, coupled with screaming vocals and more powerful electronics. The raw, neo-Punk aggression is typically English. ‘Forge’ is different yet again, with more of a dance-beat and some great feedback from the electric guitar. The bass is also more active this time, running up and down the scales with great dexterity. Another fantastic track on what is a tremendous journey through the highways and byways of musical extremity. Much congratulations and thanks are due to Cold Spring for re-releasing an album like this, because for those of us who missed it the first time round it’s a useful way of studying the roots of the Industrial scene and gauging precisely how much Toll were influenced by their predecessors and how they became an inspiration to others. Hopefully, ‘Christ Knows’ will lead to a revival of the style that characterised the early British scene. Top marks.