SHTWRLDS by Jeff McLeod

Jeff is one of the great gifts to Alabama underground art. He’s worked in poetry and photography among other mediums, but best known for writing and performing various music genres.

SHTWRLDS is described as “a multi-discipline auditory executive training program, [a] gateway to failure in all frequencies.” Jeff explores the dehumanizing application, orientation, and certification process of a training program as a sci-fi musical. It ends up something like Howard Shore writing synth and guitar songs for a Thomas Ligotti script of Office Space meets The Matrix.

SHTWRLDS showcases Jeff’s skilled blend of synth sounds and guitar playing. Like many of his projects, there is a an existential dread commingled with dark humor. He’s showcased faster brutality in other projects, but this is a slow smothering.

“Time Slime” has a feeling not unlike a Residents epic, while featuring one of my favorite guitar performances on the album. “Dnomed” is a somehow harsh and shimmering sci-fi electro-ballad with a sweet injection of tremolo guitar. “SHTWRLDS (Certification)” is a walloping culmination of the previous ideas, featuring dizzying synth loops and vocals that convey both woe and yearning.

Check out his website for past and present releases and listen on Bandcamp or your preferred streaming platform.