The Observatory Guitarist, Dharma, Pushes His Instrument To The Brink On Noise Album ‘Metal Fracture’
Dharma’s music speaks in sounds that tread on harsh experimental ground (Credit: Courtesy of Dharma)
On his third solo release, Dharma’s Metal Fracture is an emotional reckoning. Taking time away as The Observatory’s guitarist, this release sees him continuing to rewire his guitar into a machine of raw expression. There’s no gentleness or predictability here. Instead, we get a visceral study in fractured sound and discomfort.
Having spent the last decade excavating new terrain and guitar techniques, Metal Fracture sharpens that vision even further. Tracks are carved from solo improvisations, later reconstructed with overdubs and voice work – and the result is a brutal record that is fascinating in its ability to hold your attention.
Opening with “Mince Until Feedback”, Dharma wastes no time drawing lines in the sand. It’s distorted and confrontational, a wash of noise that discards rhythm in favor of sonic dialogue — as if the guitar is speaking in tongues and daring the listener to keep up.
Then on tracks like “The Essential Wreckage”, the influence of Singapore’s relentless urban churn is front-and-centre. Industrial groans and screeching electronics mimic machinery spiraling out of control, echoing Dharma’s thematic focus on health and breakdown – claustrophobic and unrelenting.
Then, six tracks in, “Dirty Blue Genes” offers a rare pause. Subtler and more spacious – small distortions ripple like heatwaves while delicate echoes shimmer through. It’s not quite calm, but still contemplative. It’s a blues-soaked meditation buried deep in the wreckage.
Its nine tracks are mixed and mastered by noise luminary Lasse Marhaug, and with his help, Dharma revisits his extreme metal roots not by replicating old forms but by stretching his instrument to its absolute limits. It’s guitar playing that is precise, fractured, and absolutely committed.
(Credit: Third Street Studio)
Listen to Metal Fracture by Dharma on Bandcamp. Follow Dharma on socials to stay connected.
This contributor feature was written by Jensen Ooi.
Jensen’s love for music journalism is only rivalled by his adoration for Rina Sawayama’s music. He hopes for music to be the connecting tissue between everyone everywhere. You can find him at @jenericjensen on IG.
