Frozen Niagara Falls
by Prurient
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
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  1. codyeff
    May 17, 2015
    9
    This is a must-listen. Dominick Fernow has crafted a wonderful amalgamation of his prior works into Frozen Niagara Falls. It blurs the lines between genres incredibly well and gives a very solid narrative throughout the album. This album is massive, both in actual time and musical impact.
  2. asjklasjklas
    May 17, 2015
    9
    Dominick Fernow has produced possibly his best, cohesive and emotionally invested collection of tracks to date in a career that’s been spanning since the late ‘90s; Frozen Niagara Falls is a double disc and it’s musically everything Fernow has experimented with under his numerous aliases, primarily Prurient—traditional Prurient, mic + amplifier and all, while also reintroducing the synthsDominick Fernow has produced possibly his best, cohesive and emotionally invested collection of tracks to date in a career that’s been spanning since the late ‘90s; Frozen Niagara Falls is a double disc and it’s musically everything Fernow has experimented with under his numerous aliases, primarily Prurient—traditional Prurient, mic + amplifier and all, while also reintroducing the synths that were a prominent part of 2013’s Through the Window. Except here, everything’s used to their best, maybe even complete ability. The opening “Myth of Building Bridges” and “Traditional Snowfall” are a beautiful mess of drones and drums frequently interrupted by Fernow’s haunting, heavily reverbed screams, while the second disc’s “Greenpoint” and the closing “Christ among the Broken Glass” are an acoustic journey into what black metal may have been if we were in some sort of alternate universe. And whoever said Prurient isn’t capable of accessibility, I highly recommend the industrial drums and Fernow’s much, much more comprehensible screams of “Dragonflies to Sew You Up” and the hiccupping synths of “Every Relationship Earthrise”. It’s not just a milestone for noise music in recent years, it’s a milestone in an already critically underappreciated discography. Frozen Niagara Falls is a variety of moods, mostly somber, and sounds and sounds that both contrast and complete each other, favorably.… Expand
  3. Lovdahl
    Jan 31, 2016
    9
    One of the most influential noise and industrial artists of the past fifteen years, Prurient released this massive ninety-minute record last May. Which is somewhat strange, because when I think of Prurient, I don’t picture spring time, flowers, or even warmth. There’s an eeriness to his work that disavows heat and light in favor of bitter cold and impenetrable darkness; oddly enough, thisOne of the most influential noise and industrial artists of the past fifteen years, Prurient released this massive ninety-minute record last May. Which is somewhat strange, because when I think of Prurient, I don’t picture spring time, flowers, or even warmth. There’s an eeriness to his work that disavows heat and light in favor of bitter cold and impenetrable darkness; oddly enough, this mammoth of an album is arguably Prurient’s most accessible. Yes, there’s content on “Frozen Niagara Falls” that you won’t hear anywhere else, such as high-pitched feedback, impossibly distorted frequencies, and straight-up noise; but, compared to other albums in his discography, this particular record stands out as a great introduction point into not only Prurient’s career, but noise music as a whole. It’s not for everyone; nor should it be, because then it would suck.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best Album of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. Spin
    Sep 3, 2015
    80
    Blare Falls in the prescribed order, on shuffle, in a plane, on a train: You’ll dance, you’ll cringe, your Mom will freak out, your homies may start rumors about you--which is as it should be.
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  2. Mojo
    Jul 6, 2015
    80
    This is terrific, 90-minutes of ice-quaking noise, jet-engine feedback, histrionic metal screaming, Gothic doom and ambient euphoria that feels simultaneously ecstatic and terrifying. [Aug 2015, p.95]
  3. AllMusic
    Jun 22, 2015
    70
    Any Prurient release is a demanding listen, but Frozen Niagara Falls is one of his most surprising and rewarding works.
    Read full review
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