One of the all-time great vinyl documents of esoteric, psychedelic powerviolence, the Gasp/Suffering Luna split LP contains some of the most insane, hallucinogenic heaviosity to ever emerge from the West Coast grind scene. The Gasp side of this split is broken up into 6 tracks, but effectively operates as a single breathing organism, beginning and ending on hypnosis inducing locked grooves that spin cosmic drones and childlike taunting into infinity. These locked grooves bookend an epic tapestry of beautiful galactic dirge metal, dreamlike deep space sound collage, and demolition strength sludge/powerviolence that reaches immense wall-of-sound levels of overload. Gasp had always reminded me of an otherworldy fusion of the early space/psych of Pink Floyd and Hawkwind being coopted by an ultra chaotic mutation of 90's extreme hardcore and extreme sludge/doom. These guys didn't sound like anyone, and this music is still years ahead of it's time. The end of the Gasp side actually has about a half-dozen locked grooves that you can utilize to liquify your grey matter, ranging from surrealist vocal cutups to atmospheric drones. Essential sounds.

If the Gasp side isn't enough to convince you that this is an essential platter, the other side is inscribed with four cuts from the little-known but earth shaking Los Angeles psych-deathcore outfit Suffering Luna, who trudge through a grueling dirge avalanche that interconnects rhythmic Godflesh dissonance with massive Neurosis tribal sludge, complex layers of sampled media soundbites and tape loops, streaks of acid damaged cosmic guitar, and ultra harsh and oppressive noise and tortured howling effects-heavy vocal incantations. Suffering Luna's hallucinogenic soundbite sampling is similiar to the manner in which Dystopia uses soundbites to create an ultra paranoid atmosphere of urban dis-ease; these guys could sort of be seen as a nastier, cryptic trance-doom companion band to Dystopia, who they actually shared another split LP with back in 1995. Their songs on this LP are hellish and spaced out, a perfect companion to the Gasp side. Crucial!! On gorgeous grey marbled wax.