Asphalt for Eden

New Jersey noise rap pioneers fell apart around 2010, as longtime producer relocated to Berlin. Following the long-awaited release of , a session recorded in 2005, the group lapsed into a hiatus without an official announcement, and MC ( ) started another project called . He felt the urge to revive after incorporating some of the group's material into his live performances, so he established a new lineup rounded out by (the group's live turntablist until 2002) and guitarist/producer ), who had collaborated with the group since the 2000s. arrives on Canadian metal label , which makes sense given the group's penchant for crushing, abrasive sonics. What's more surprising is how the release seems oddly toned down in some respects. They seem to lean toward dark ambient textures this time out, with some of the keyboard tones sounding clearer than listeners might expect from the group. There's still screeching, shoegaze-influenced guitar noise, but it seems a bit muted at times. This places more of a focus on 's lyrics, which simmer on tracks like "Guaranteed Struggle" and are a lot more forceful on "Masked Laughter (Nothing's Left)," which declares the need for change rather than just lip service. "Control" references the Black Lives Matter movement and ends with a sort of mantra, calling for the strengthening of society and reduction of crime. While such tracks provide moments of encouragement, the album ends on a disconcertingly bleak, hopeless note with "It Just Is." is by all means a welcome return, but it seems a bit uneven and tentative, as if 's revamped lineup hasn't quite found its footing. ~ Paul Simpson