With Cut Hands, Whitehouse founder and power electronics pioneer William Bennett plays what he calls “afro-noise.” Using primarily polyrhythmic African drumming, Bennett creates music that approaches power electronics while being organic and not actually noise. On Cut Hands’ newest release, Damballah 58 on Blackest Ever Black, the “afro-noise” is refined. More electronic elements are incorporated, but instead of the shrieking feedback of Whitehouse, Cut Hands presents the listener with drones and ambiance. On the whole, the album has the feeling of music for ritual performance. Damballah 58 plays out like the summoning of the loa the it is named for. The title track’s almost violent drumming and the trance-like atmosphere of “Belladonna” both present their own interpretation of ritual performance. Above all, Cut Hands is deeply engaging, and even cathartic. While Bennett’s future efforts will probably never escape comparison to Whitehouse, the rhythmic noise of Cut Hands is beginning to carve its own niche – from generating conversations of cultural appropriation to being catchy and accessible dance music and combining elements of noise, African and Haitian music, and drone.