Overview

Overdrive Hell 4: Hizumi Heaven Returns is the fourth album in a series of hardcore and experimental electronic EPs featuring Ayako Saso and Shinji Hosoe. While not for everyone, it does feature some interesting music for those fans of this style of electronic music. How does this album compare to the previous entries in the ongoing series?

Body

The album opens up with "Lesson 15 Lovely Triangle Wooden Horse." This is the most bizarre theme on the album. Opening up with a playful music box melody and a baby's cooing sound effects, it quickly evolves into an extremely intense electronic mix full of heavy beats and odd sound effects and vocal samples, such as things that sound like wild monkeys screaming. It's an extremely industrial natured electronic theme and doesn't really provide much melody, but for those who can appreciate a cacophony of sound, this theme may provide an interesting look at some darker industrial music.

"Lesson 16 100-Bashing" features some distorted electric guitar work, at times with a very groovy atmosphere, some intense industrial beats, and odd vocal samples. This is most likely the work of Shinji Hosoe because it reminds me of his some of his electronic experiments in the Nanosweep series. There are definitely some melodic passages over top the intense electronic nature of this theme, but you'll have to listen for them.

"Lesson 17 Brutal Person Play" is another cacophonic piece similar to "Lesson 15 Lovely Triangle Wooden Horse." It is definitely the theme with the most intense electronic beats on the album and the craziest vocal samples. I highly suspect this is the work of Ayako Saso. It is probably the least accessible track on the entire album, which is saying something.

"Lesson 18 All is Distorted" is another symphony of noise. Featuring hardcore beats, tons of electronic distortion, and odd vocal samples, it closes off the album with an intense feeling. However, there are some more accessible sections where little to no beat is featured and you can hear some of the electronic accompaniment sans the vocals.

Summary

This album is definitely not for the faint of heart. Fans of hardcore and experimental music may enjoy this album, particularly if they have been following the series. However, for those interested in this, it may be best to try to listen to some of Ayako Saso and Shinji Hosoe's more hardcore music to get a feeling for the nature of this album. I do find this album to be one of the more accessible in the Overdrive Hell series.