Prescription:Medicide

When a band names itself after a mythical creature known for taking people from their homes and drowning them, a certain level of misanthropic cynicism in the lyrics and a certain amount of dark negativity in the music itself should come as no surprise. The members of this duo go by the names VLRK and 4N1T4, and their music is predictably chilly and alienated-sounding. There is no singing; instead, VLRK hisses the lyrics in a harsh stage whisper that wears thin very quickly. Much more interesting are the samples and found sounds that are scattered liberally throughout the program and generally seem intent on exposing the hypocrisy and venality of politicians and religionists. The lyrics themselves — "Clandestine democracy/Global grip of tyranny," and so forth — are generally unintelligible but, when they can be discerned through the blippy synths and jackboot rhythms, not bad. Highlights are hard to identify on this album; if you hear one song you've basically heard them all. But both the title track and "Social Distortion" offer interesting and unusual lyrical conceits.