music.wikisort.org - Composition

Venereology is an album by the Japanese noise musician Merzbow. It was inspired by death metal and grindcore.[3]

Venereology
Studio album by Merzbow
Released	September 1994 (1994-09)
Recorded	January–February 1994
Venue	Yaneura II, Tokyo
Studio	ZSF Produkt Studio, Tokyo
Genre	Noise
Length	50:16
Label	Release Entertainment
Producer	Masami Akita
Merzbow chronology
Electroploitation (1994) Venereology (1994) Noisembryo (1994)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Exclaim!	7/10[1]
PopMatters	8/10[2]

It was the first of five Merzbow albums released by the American heavy metal label Relapse Records, under their Release Entertainment imprint, and as such was responsible for bringing Merzbow's work to a much wider audience in the United States. Venereology has also gained notoriety for the loudness of its mastering, which violated American limitations on the dynamic range allowed on CDs,[4] and for its third track, "I Lead You Towards Glorious Times", which is often cited to be the loudest track created in CD format - having a RMS value of 0.00dB.[5] The liner notes includes an extensive thank you list in the style of many metal releases.

Venereology was reissued on vinyl with a revised track list and bonus tracks by Relapse in March 2019.[6][7]

Background

Venereology was my first release on a death metal label. So, my target was "death metal" itself. I used more serious dead visuals than on the usual death metal albums. For me, it's like J. P. Witkin or J. G. Ballard. The rhythm in Venereology was a little slower than in my past releases, but more heavy. Also, the tone of Venereology was lots of overlevels and dirty sound. It's important to know that I made Venereology while drinking lots of beer. These essences are all influenced by death metal. But not musically. I liked something more extreme than the death metal rules.

— Masami Akita[3]

Akita then explained that his next album for Relapse, Pulse Demon, was back to his normal sound and was recorded sober.

Track listing

CD

LP

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album notes.[8]

Musicians

• Masami Akita – performer, "decomposition," mixing
• Kazuyoshi Kimoto – bass guitar on end part of "Klo Ken Phantasie" and on "Outtrack 2"
• Reiko Azuma – noise on "I Lead You Towards Glorious Times"
• Bara – vocals on "I Lead You Towards Glorious Times" and "Slave New Desart"

Technical and visual personnel

• Mackerel Can Molding Company – live recording on "I Lead You Towards Glorious Times"
• Antoine Bernhart – atrocity photos research
• Naomi Hosokawa – photos transformation assistance
• Abtechtonics – art direction, color
• David Shirk – mastering [CD]
• James Plotkin – mastering [LP reissue]
• Jonathan Canady – additional design [LP reissue]
• Jacob Speis – layout [LP reissue]
• Matt Jacobson – executive producer, visual & logo interpretation for production
• Bill Yurkiewicz – executive producer
• Masami Akita – remixing and rearrangement from original DAT tapes at Munemihouse, Tokyo in October 2018 [LP reissue]

Release history

Region	Date	Label	Format	Quantity	Catalog	Notes
United States	1994	Release	CD	n/a	RR6910-2
Russia	2006	Irond		n/a	IROND CD 06-1120
United States	2019	Relapse	LP	650	RR6669	black vinyl[9]
				250		neon violet vinyl[9]
				100		purple/white with red splatter vinyl[9]
				100		clear vinyl[9]

References

External links

• Venereology at Discogs (list of releases)

---