12/18/2006
Tracklist
1. 020 [3:10]
2. 017 [2:40]
3. 021 [2:56]
4. 029 [3:00]
5. 024 [3:16]
6. 026 [2:25]
7. 018 [2:18]
8. 025 [3:41]
9. 027 [2:45]
10. 028 [4:12]
11. 031 [2:56]
12. 022 [3:01]
Info
This band hails from The Netherlands and this somewhat strange disc houses 12 tracks of frantic hardcore with major influences being drawn from a lot of emo/indie styles as well. The result is a little over a half-hour of material that blends shouting/screaming vocals (very scarcely hinting at singing) over melodic chord progressions and lightly dissonant note-based riffs, rocked out rhythms, jangly clean passages, some darker riffing that lends a really different feel to a few songs (see "029"), and even a few jazzy sounding elements on rare occasion. One of the weirdest aspects of the release is that each song is titled with a three-digit number, but the numbers aren't in sequence or anything, so who knows what the deal is what that? Regardless, this is pretty good for what it is. It's a little different from what I tend to be a fan of, but I can definitely cite a few similarities to some solid Kentucky bands of old here and there, and the songwriting is fairly effective. A little bit of the quirkiness comes off as trendy to me, but the overall aesthetic of these songs is definitely not hitting on that type of vibe at all. Among the most straightforward compositions is "021" which has far fewer frills and is a little more memorable; "028" is one of the slower and darker tracks, using more effective shifts to clean guitars, thicker bass parts, and a more intense approach that makes for my favorite track of the disc by far; and "022" is also more dynamic, with some of the softest vocals and some really rocked out chords that are unique in style, blending melodic tendencies with choppy rhythmic structures for a really well executed song. My only complaint is that the disc is a little boring. After about 15 minutes it kind of starts to sound the same, and though the total running time is a very respectable 36 minutes, it ends up feeling a lot longer as a result. The recording is quite nice, though. It's very warm and natural, so despite the fact that some of the guitar tones are slightly flat, I like it. The drums sound excellent, the vocals are perfect, the bass is there adding just a touch of extra density, and it's a clear mix. I think the guitars need a little more of a punch, and the bass could definitely be more beneficial in a louder position, but nothing holds them back per se. The disc comes in a large digipack with a satin finish that has some weird "South Park" looking artwork of two guys in a forest full of fallen trees and dead bodies. Some of the lyrics and the artwork lead me to believe that some larger messages might be involved, but the approach is more of a rock 'n' roll sort of thing as far as the wording: "Help me doctor! My mind is black! Yeah! Don't forget to give me more of those mood swings, yeah! Don't forget to give me more to stay awake at night help me doctor! My mind is black! Please subscribe me something to collapse, yeah!" I'm not a fan of the lyrics in most cases, but whatever. This is a good CD. Not great, but good. I can listen to it and enjoy it, but it's not something I'd listen to regularly at all. Some of the more energetic moments are quite promising, but as a whole the record's kind of one-sided in how it handles its variety of influences. A very strong EP could've been made with the four or five best songs herein, but as a full-length it drops off too often, you know?
AversionOnline
MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/malkovich
DD
http://www.sendspace.com/file/nqesle
eraser at 4:49 p. m.
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