by Rick Anderson Recording as :wumpscut:, Rudy Ratzinger deals in a rather unique form of dark electronic music. His sound is not as dense and spikily aggressive as that of most of his Metropolis labelmates; though he employs beats that are typically metronomic and relentless, they are sometimes almost gentle, and his dark, minor-key chord progressions are more decorous than overbearing. Ratzinger's vocal approach is harsh and guttural, but in a restrained way. It's his thematic material that never gives the listener any respite, and ultimately, that is what limits his musical possibilities. Well, that and his insistence on writing and singing in English, a language in which he is somewhat less than fluent (sample couplet: "Once I warn you underling don't provocate my will/Once again I warn you to sit down and find a chill"). Song titles like "Fear in Your Eyes," "Final Warning," and "Our Fatal Longing" give you an idea of what to expect, as do the gruesome postmortem photos that fill the insert booklet. It's too bad the subtlety and complexity of his music aren't better-reflected in his lyrics and visuals, but Ratzinger is still one of the more consistently interesting exponents of the dark electro sound.