Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Author & Punisher - Ursus Americanus (2012)

Ursus Americanus is arguably where Shone truly hits his stride in his niche of industrial, droning horror and gazy and reflective electronic music.  On his 2012 release the drones become brooding in sound yet somehow no less impactful.  They rise like gargantuan beasts from deepest and darkest depths, full of looming threat and menace.  At the same time though there's tinges of emotion to proceedings that bring some personal feel to the album also.  It's like a harsh assault with a prospect of a warmish hug when you least exepct it.

When in full-on mode the record is almost unstoppable as a force.  Overwhelming the listener with a barrage of thumping rhythms and a smothering wall of sound is a risky venture (and certainly not for all listeners) but the skill here is maintaining interest in what you pitch up with, not easing people in gently to a safe place.  For all the relentlessness of his sound, Tristan is still able to maintain entertainment at the same time to the point where I find myself welcoming each wave of abrasive and punishing (pun intended) industrial madness.  Sustaining this level of intensity serves to give the albums more subtle moments a stronger impact, allowing them to fill the void of potential silence a sudden drop in drones or clatters can create with something varied yet never unexpected.

This doesn't feel like a juggling act either, in fact the whole album feels cohesive and planned to good effect.  The downside for me is more due to my own personal tastes as opposed to anything Shone does wrong; I am not often a visitor to his style of music and find myself stumbling across it as opposed to actively seeking it.  As such I don't consider myself a "fan" of this music in that I don't actually go out and seek it so repeat plays of Ursus Americanus are limited in frequency I suspect.  Still, whenever I do get round to ot again I am sure it will still please me sufficiently.