To say Campbell Kneale is a drone master is kind of an understatement. No project in recent memory has produced the kind of ethereal spew that Kneale concocts in his electronic laboratory. Over the courses of too many releases to remember, he has constructed a sonic arsenal to match any threats that may arise. "Chi Vampires" is his latest opus. While this isn't the final chapter in his neverending tale, it feels like the epic conclusion that every great novel needs. It is simply that good.

"Chi Vampires" opens with sun light eclipsing the farthest reaches of the heavens. As the pristine white marble buildings are bathed in an irridescent golden glow, the angels open their sleepy eyes to a new dawn. This is the magic of "Blonde Moth Burial." The entire journey this mini-epic takes you on pulsates with warmth, energy, and beauty. If you have a happy place, this dense electronic whitewash is what should always be playing in the background there. It's impossible to hear this and not feel good.

"Cold Herds Travel" traverses similar territory as "Blonde Moth Burial," though the former actually has more of a funeral feeling to it. It's not melancholy per s?, but an underriding since that something has been lost that isn't coming back. There is a subtle tension happening that suggests people aren't sure whether or not this is a bad thing, but the question is always in the back of everyone's minds. Listening to "Cold Herds Travel" is examining how groupthink and death work in conjunction. It's slightly disturbing and you often feel as though you don't want to witness any of this, but there's always a sinister beauty that goes along with self-destruction, and this piece embodies it on every level.

However, despite the magnificence of these two tracks, it's the other two that make up "Chi Vampires" which push it over the top. The sprawling 30 minute epic, "Buckling Metal Snowflakes," showcases Kneale at his absolute best. Twisting pieces of sheet metal flail against each other during a night storm, crackling and buckling in a musical reverie. Kneale drops layers of dense, bright drones on top that slowly build into a stacked wall of sound. It's like a slowly unfolding utopian dream where everything you perceive is perfect is lined-up beside you in a row. There's a constant struggle between structure and chaos in the first half of "Buckling Metal Snowflakes," but that's why this is so good. Dense electronic squawls eventually gain momentum, like your alarm clock creeping into your nocturnal rainbow reminding you that reality is at the door and it's about to come in. This is where Kneale shows off his considerable skill. The shift to dark desolation highlights the dichotomy that ravages between joy and fear. One minute you're inside this perfect sound world and the next your'e awake in your post-apocolyptic nightmare. It's a harsh pill to swallow, but you do so with ease, accept it and move in. The way nothing seems out of place from one moment to the next is astounding. Kneale just glides through with ease.

But in the end, it is the end that makes "Chi Vampires" the best Birchville Cat Motel album to date. Kneale has made his love for metal well-known recently with the introduction of his all-metal Battlecruiser imprint. On the title track, however, he brilliantly melts his love for doom metal and drone into one solid piece of shimmering genius. "Chi Vampires" is dense and organic. It is feeling of reaching the summit of a majestic mountain, looking out over hundreds of square miles. This is music that will conquer as all. The repetitive nature is an asset as it just constantly pounds itself into your skull until you have to hear it over and over again. Sunn0))) eat your heart out.

Birchville Cat Motel continues pushing forward, stronger and stronger Campbell Kneale is showing no signs of slowing down and if "Chi Vampires" is any indication, the future is only going to be better than the past. This is the best Kneale has offered to date, but I am confident it won't remain as such for long. With many new projects in the works, my excitement for Birchville Cat Motel is at an all-time high. This is a mindfuck of epic proportions. Highly recommended and totally essential. 9/10 -- Brad Rose (25 May, 2005)