Mechanical rhythms, screeching noise, distant singing and floating soundscapes characterize the music on Shifting.Negative. This mixture makes me nervous, but the harmonic parts lower the pulse a bit.
The Italians create an atmosphere that should suit all supporters of Nine Inch Nails. Sometimes, only marginal changes happen: in course of the piece Precarious, a simple keyboard melody is accompanied by a subtle whispering voice, before a gentle rising din rises from the depths.
A little more violently, ABORYM sometimes work with moderately reverberating guitars and pull the tempo during Decadence In A Nutshell suddenly. The song seems to be puzzled together and holds latent weird features. From time to time, the Finns Waltari or even Björk are ghosting through the spooky arrangements. It is really fun to follow the compositions, but for me personally, the hectic tracks gradually degrade the composure. Nevertheless, all those who like a crazy version of Marilyn Manson will have their joy in this album. There are a few tunes, which stay in my mind, but the musicians lose their thread too often, just to add a weird idea to the next one. Tragedies For Sale goes beyond any understanding of melody, and Going New Places does not tend to repeat this song with antsy grooves.
My ears tolerate Shifting.Negative only in very low dose, because the cold, mechanical rhythms leave little space for compelling songs or elegant tension arcs.