Album Review: Live COS 7788 by City of Worms & Illusion of Safety
Alright, let’s dive into Live COS 7788, an experimental industrial gem from 1988 that feels like it crawled out of some dark, forgotten corner of US underground music history. Released under Realization Recordings and Big Body Parts, this album is a wild ride through clanging beats, eerie soundscapes, and raw energy—courtesy of Spark behind the recording desk. If you’re into electronic music but bored with the same old polished stuff, this one might just slap you awake.
The album kicks off with "Intro/Discipline," which sets the tone perfectly. It’s not flashy, but there’s something about the way it layers cold mechanical rhythms with these unsettling tones that sticks with me. It’s like walking into a factory at midnight when no one’s around—creepy yet oddly fascinating. You know those moments in movies where the tension builds, and you're not sure what’s coming next? That’s this track. No frills, just pure mood-setting mastery.
Then there’s “Fleshbinge,” and holy crap, does this one hit hard. The track slams you with gritty textures and distorted loops that feel like they’re clawing at your brain. There’s a chaotic urgency to it, like someone’s trying to scream through static. Honestly, I couldn’t tell you exactly why I keep coming back to it—it’s messy, abrasive, and probably too much for most people—but damn if it doesn’t feel alive. Feels like listening to chaos finding its own weird kind of order.
Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t background music. Tracks like “Dead Girl And The Man (Trunk Of The Car Over The Weekend)” or “Information Drifts” take you down strange paths you didn’t ask to go on, but hey, sometimes getting lost is half the fun. This album doesn’t hold your hand; instead, it pushes you into the deep end and dares you to swim.
Looking back, Live COS 7788 feels less like a traditional album and more like a snapshot of a moment in time—a raw document of two artists messing around with sounds, breaking rules, and not giving a damn what anyone thinks. It’s rough around the edges, sure, but that’s kinda the point. In a world full of shiny, overproduced albums, this thing stands out because it refuses to play nice.
And here’s the kicker: after spinning this record, I found myself wondering… how did they even think of naming their tracks? Like, who wakes up and says, “Today, we’re calling a song ‘Expack’”? Maybe that’s part of the charm. Or maybe I’m overthinking it. Either way, this album's got teeth, and if you’re brave enough, it’ll bite back.
