You must pay attention to the harshly oppressive I’ve Witnessed Everything I Require to Witness

There are only a few albums that I consider to be truly terrifying. You Won’t Get What You Want from Daughters and Swans’ To Be Kind instantly come to mind. However, those albums come with… call it, emotional baggage. In contrast, I’ve Seen All I Need to See lacks some of the eerie atmosphere of To Be Kind and the pop-infused menace of You Won’t Get What You Want, yet compensates with its unyielding ferocity. It’s not merely the soundtrack for a slasher film; it represents the most brutal moment in the harshest horror flick, depicted through distorted drums and a dissonant guitar.

The album starts with a recitation of Douglas Dunn’s The Kaleidoscope, a poem about being ensnared in a cycle of sorrow, featuring sparse drums thumping erratically alongside chaotic noise and a low metallic hum. As it shifts into the distant wail of vocalist/guitarist Chip King, “A Lament” stutters in fits and starts while it struggles to soar.

This establishes the mood for the entire album, which feels less like a set of songs and more like a relentless behemoth erected to honor the might of distortion. And I must confess, I’ve Seen All I Need to See may not resonate with everyone. It’s predominantly atonal; tracks can seamlessly blend, and even when the tempo increases beyond a funereal pace, the songs feel burdened, as if the band is trying to navigate through a swamp.

That’s not to imply that there aren’t instances of enlightenment to uncover. The City is Shelled especially erupts towards its latter section as King’s vocals transform into a Goblin-like croak over crashing piano chords, providing one of the rare instances of authentic melodiousness (even if it’s submerged beneath a mountain of fuzz).

Although it spans only 38 minutes, at times, I’ve Seen All I Need to See can feel like a test of endurance. But, akin to running a marathon, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth pushing through. There lies a certain beauty within its harshness. It’s eerie and brutal much like, for instance, Bring Her Back is. Great art doesn’t always equate to pleasant art.

If you seek an album that evokes horror movie vibes without slipping into kitsch, something that feels truly perilous and alarming, rather than just slightly spooky, The Body’s I’ve Seen All I Need to See is what you need. The album is accessible on Bandcamp and most streaming platforms such as Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, YouTube Music, and Spotify.