The Power That, When Wielded, Corrupts is an electronic music album driven by the persistence of a powerful beat and some very interesting sounds and textures. I think it could easily fit within Rhythmic Noise or Industrial Techno, genres that are much more focused on rhythm than melody.
The track titles make the album's political intention quite clear, with a straightforward message: power corrupts. I think this is why Digital Hardcore immediately came to mind, a great genre that reached its peak in the 90s with Atari Teenage Riot. While there is not much of a connection in terms of sound, there is definitely a link through the intention behind the work, with a clearly anti-authoritarian idea.
The track that caught me the most was THALASSAPHOBIA. The title itself was actually a new word for me, referring to the fear of large bodies of water such as oceans, seas, or large lakes. The texture is incredibly engaging, and it flows very well into the following two tracks, CHOKE and THE ALTAR, BROKEN. Without a doubt, this was my favorite part of the album.
As I have mentioned in other reviews, I like it when albums include at least a brief description on Bandcamp, since it always helps to place the listener before pressing play. Another thing I would have liked to know is some technical information about how the album was made, whether it was created entirely with digital tools or if there were instruments involved.
One thing I would question is that the album is tagged on Bandcamp as unpleasant, which I did not find it to be at any point. It certainly has a heavy and perhaps hardcore sound, but I would not describe it as especially abrasive. I think anyone who enjoys techno, especially its harder or more experimental branches, will have no problem enjoying this album. Great work by VNRL.