Chris Liebing and Speedy J

Though the coarse, forceful techno on Metalismis mostly for the dance floor, DJs Chris Liebing and Jochem Paap also generate a sense of brutal, urbanlike decay that would send most Spectral junkies back to the comfort of their muscle relaxers and Geoff White twelve-inches. Collabs 3000: Metalismpairs up German producer/DJ Liebing with Netherlands-based techno artist DJ Speedy J (Paap). With its rushes of high-end noise, diesel engine bursts, and cyclical, repetitive squeals, the multifaceted epic "Cream 3" is the album's centerpiece. Its first act lifts off with near subtlety: a couple minutes of driving techno that eventually mutates into a shrill boiling point with sharp, channel-chasing static and piercing amp feedback. When it blows right back into the beat again, it eventually gives way to the album's next track, the deceptively softer "Eventide." But this cut's trancelike blanket of synths lasts only a few minutes before the noise and subsequent arctic temperatures return. It's a cold ride, but the brief, warm pit stops are worth the trip.