Andreas Brandal is, to my ears, the best artist operating in the noise/experimental genre today. Given his vast harsh noise discography with multiple projects, including Flesh Coffin, Hour of the Wolf, and Museums of Sleep (a collaboration with Stasis label head Cole Peters), it never ceases to amaze me how focused, strong, and consistent his output has been. This tape easily continues that trend. Avmakt is a pure minimalist harsh ambient exploration of new avenues of true suffering. The two tracks, "Armod" (Poverty) and "Gru" (Horror), compliment each other well - leading the listener from shuffling greys to jackboot-in-the-face blackouts. Brandal is so skilled at creating a particular atmosphere that even before I had made an attempt to translate the track titles for their original Nynorsk, I had a complete understanding of each track. "Armod" has no build - no beginning, no end. No peaks, no crescendos - nothing… it simply just is. It is the underlying static rumble of low level chaos that is just enough to oppress but allows you to enough headspace to reflect on why you deserve your pain as well as experiencing it…thus creating a space of double punishment. As grim and desperate as it is, the A-side is the calm before the storm. On the flip, "Gru," Brandal unleashes a creeping pollution of thought and deed so weighty and massive, air becomes heavy and time slows. These walls are of violence, torment, and of wishing, pleading, screaming for an end that will not come. The 30 minutes presented here will be both difficult and beautiful - necessary listening. 9/10 -- Chris Jacques (18 August, 2010)