Like most bands doing something that's ambitious and/or groundbreaking, Nadja took a little while to get into their stride. It wasn't really until Bodycage (Or Truth Becomes Death.. whichever came first) that the production and the songwriting were finally up to Aidan Baker's vision. Sure, Skin Turns to Glass and the original Touched were both good albums, but when compared to the later releases they don't really compare that well.
It's strange though.. Despite this being Nadja's 3rd full length, to me it seems the most primitive. There's some loud guitars and big riffs, but to me, this seems to be Nadja's most stripped down recording, and it's the album that they sound most like a typical doom metal band. Whether that's a good thing or not will depend on your perspective.
Indeed, this is quite stripped down. The title track is Nadja stripped totally bare, no extra layers, no drums, just droning, fuzzy n buzzy guitars for a while. It's a pretty good track, but quite bare and hard to listen to all on it's own. It's a somewhat odd choice for a leading off track, and there's much better on offer. As I've mentioned, this one is pretty doom-y. You Are as Dust has a few really huge riffs and some really eerie vocals buried way in the mix. Base Fluid is an attempt at a more ambient styling, but there's a big freak out near the end. Unlike the newer version of this, though, the drum programming is pretty good and fits the freak out part quite well. For those familiar with newer Nadja, well, it's not too different, just a bit less layered and more riff-driven.
There is one quite annoying problem with this album, though- the production. It's weak, it's confused, it's flaccid. It's murky, but not in a good way.. Every instrument is stripped of most of it's power by the excessive amount of mid-range frequencies. The drums are way too quiet and somewhat ineffective. The guitars are just too muddy. The Nadja style demands a big wall of sound, sure, but some sort of clarity is also demanded. This albums achieves the unique feeling of being both too muddy yet not bassy enough. Mid Range frequencies are not your friend.
Still, despite some flat production and slightly primitive songwriting, this is a pretty enjoyable album. Chances are that the re-recorded version is a fair bit better. It will be interesting to see how Baker remakes these tunes. I'd recommend you'd get the newer version, personally, but if you're new to Nadja, I recommend you get Bodycage or the rerecorded Touched first.