Totally Ripped

The noise- and experimental-rock scene in Vancouver, British Columbia, seems to produce bands with a flavor distinct from that of their American cousins. Two things that unite them, however, are a palpable grittiness and a fearless use of disparate elements to create an often disturbingly, always startlingly compelling sound. Like Whitehouse, Coil and Nurse With Wound, Totally Ripped uses sound to reflect the horrors of the modern world, but the band comes off less like it's exorcising personal demons and more like it's capturing sonic images of a haunted world overgrown with the decaying crust of civilization. Don't anticipate a muscular punk band, but do count on music that challenges the mind and senses.