At this point, it feels matter of course to declare that CRT isn’t for the faint of heart, but that doesn’t make Michael Keenan’s controlled aggression on CS2 any less startling or abrasive. If there is a defining quality to the nine-track release, I’d say it’s one of persistent agitation. Even the most accessible compositions seem steeped in an aura of stark tension, and while confrontationalism has been a hallmark of Keenan’s music—both here as a solo artist and in group ventures like HAWKS and NAARC—rarely has it come across so direct and severe.

CRT - CS2

With its harsh beats and grimy metallic lurch, opener “Deep Scan” sets the album’s jarring tone, leaving the listener to decide just how much of their body and mind they want to surrender to CRT’s strident palpitations. There’s nothing particularly subtle or suggestive about CS2, just an unrelenting industrial barrage that feels beautifully misanthropic, albeit fervently dance-worthy. Indeed, there’s a kind of manic pleasure in listening to Keenan’s warped drums and hyper-taut basslines stack themselves into all manner of contorted permutations. But while tracks like “Blister Pack” and “Body Traffic” thump and surge with apocalyptic fervor—all coiled robo-funk grooves and blown-out vocals—that air of anxiety and dread never dissipates.

It’s also critical to note how deliberate and focused every element of this record is. Despite its occasional embrace of techno and EBM, there is no sense of eclecticism or freewheeling experimentation. Keenan’s vision here is strikingly singular, which poses a real danger of backing the album into a one-dimensional corner, of steeping it in a specific aesthetic like the pink and black artwork that adorns CRT’s cassette covers and promotional materials.

But throughout CS2, Keenan proves to have a discerning ear for melody and dynamics. More importantly, he shows an uncanny knack for unleashing his hooks at the most opportune moments, thus magnifying their impact. This is felt most keenly on the pulverizing “Bulls have Ramsey by the Throat,” a track that sputters, stomps, and claws its way through a cold, mechanical expanse before spilling into a seething cyclone of barreling drums, spiraling synths, and clamorous white noise. It’s a thrilling cut, dark and driving, and the way it batters your brain and implants itself in your consciousness is remarkable.

To be entirely forthcoming, I came into this review fully prepared to talk about the ugliness contained within CS2—about its unnerving precision, its combative spirit, its relentless aura of unease. Still, I found myself equally drawn to the beauty within that same bleak and chiseled clarity. CS2 is anything but an easy listen, but for those willing to tunnel through its menacing barbed-wire exterior, an angular, acid-soaked journey awaits, grim but unified.

CRT will perform tomorrow night, May 10, at the DKA Goth Danse Party at 529 alongside Kontravoid and Pyramid Club. Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $5. 21+ to enter.

More Info
Bandcamp: crtatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @crtatl
Instagram: @copyrightregistertrademark