Good review...your comments pretty much sums up how this album sounds. I agree with you about not being able to have it as background music..its too distracting (in a good way) for that. If you like this I would also recommend some of their more melodic later stuff...if you can get hold of 'Various Failures 1988-1992' that's a good start. Alternatively, try their early stuff for heavier/darker sounds. Also checkout Michael Gira's other output as the Angels of Light which personally, I think is just as good, if not better.