The merging of live musicians with programming isn't something new, the likes of Godflesh and Ministry were doing it back in the late eighties for Christ sake. Yet despite all this time there are few bands who can claim to have really mastered the great divide between human and machine to any accomplished degree; many have tried and most have failed. Step forward then Black Bile, the latest brainchild of Henri Kuittinen who with his debut release is looking to join the long line of those trying to emulate the genres founders.

So who and what is Black Bile, a name sure to be unfamiliar to many? It is a tad unfair to pigeon hole 'Great Ape Language' as falling solely into the industrial genre as the album is in truth an amalgamation of a number styles and sounds. Unquestionably the single most important influence and back bone to everything that underpins the album is the work of the seminal Skinny Puppy, with their programmed beats and soundscapes. The album does in place exude the melancholy atmosphere of Katatonia while in the same breath produces the bruising audio barrage you'd associate with a Neuriosis or Jesu record.

The phrase eclectic is often used as a polite means of calling something totally off the wall and quite frankly shite. In the case of Black Bile the word is frighteningly accurate and sums up this collection of eleven bombastic songs impeccably. 'Great Ape Language' is at times a little haphazard and a little confused in which direction it wants to go but the quality of execution of each song isn't so random. With truly something for everyone regardless of genre preference 'Great Ape Language' is a grower and if any of the above bands jump out at you an album that should be checked out.