One suspects that notorious avantist Masami “Merzbow” Akita and Aphex ally Russell Haswell believe that Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music is for lightweights. Their first album together, Satanstornade features some very fancy knives on the sleeve and applies the aesthetics of death metal to improvised electronic noise. The desire to be extreme can be a little wearying, but mostly this is gripping stuff: as meticulous as it is brutal; a chal enge for headbangers; and useful mood music for those romantic nights in the abattoir.