Download: Effector [Nettwerk
America]
Following 1997's III, Effector
takes Download into an area filled with funky beats, laid-back rhythms,
and more focused structures while retaining the slick spacey atmospheres,
distorted beats, and experimentalism that Skinny Puppy founder cEvin Key
is most known for. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this album is its
diversity in mood...it can go from happy and care-free in a track like "Vagator"
to serious and contemplative in nature in one such as "ego Dissolve,"
or even both in one track like "Affirmed." It makes this album
stand out from previous Download releases, replacing their unfocused
character with an evolved and purposeful intent.
Platform
One: Platform One [Deathbed Records]
This disc was
much better than I had anticipated. Even I judge a book by its cover
sometimes, and when I see that the cover is homemade I brace myself for
the worst. Fortunately for Platform One, their music is well-produced and
entrancing enough to warrant an apology! Blending what some would consider
goth with an electro-pop style, the music creates something completely
worthwhile without falling into any specific or degrading pigeon-holes.
The vocals are clean and fit the music well, although sometimes the
production in that area seems a bit lacking, mostly in terms of mixing the
male vocals with female backups which aren't always as suiting. They are
rather beautiful on "The Haunting of Your Love," one of the
standout tracks, among which "Naked," "Standing" and
the industrial-tinged "Can't Go Back" belong. These tracks make
the album strong as an independent release.
The
Secular: Hatesex [Suffer Creek Records]
Sweet merciful
heavens...this disc was so terrible that I'm momentarily at a loss for
words. Okay, moment over. First off, I can't tell you what type of music
this is. It sounds like crusty alterna-garage metal at first, but soon one
notices that minimal programming is used and the fem-vocalist on the
inside cover looks like she's dressed for a goth show. The production is
so low-end that it sounds like they recorded this live with a Fisher-Price
My First Microphone in a dumpster. Constructive criticism? Stop making
music. Now a special message to bands like this: Before creating such an
album, come to me for permission. I could save the planet of such wastes
of plastic and paper, and you of embarrassment. Next.
Triple
Point: The Soul Den [MeatBelt Media]
I really wanted
to like this CD. There are remixes by Fire 99, Deadjump and Thine Eyes;
there's a track featuring vocals by Karen of Razor Skyline...but
unfortunately those are its only saving attributes. The original music is
quite elementary, a bland mix of tired electro cliches, repetitive
high-tempo drum noise, and for god's sake...a cover of "Holding Out
for a Hero." One track, "Security," would be worth
salvaging if it weren't torn apart by generic and terribly rendered
vocals. The instrumental pieces counter these with a more sensible
approach to the band's resources and limitations, making "No Ordinary
Psychosis" and "Project Sunshine" stand out. In short: this
disc has 13 tracks, 6 of which are worth saving, and four of these are
touched by other bands.
