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CD ReviewAudio Paradox - "The Iniquity of Time"By Marcus Pan
Audio Paradox is made up of three folk. Josh Pyle does vocals and also helps out Matthew Edwards on programming and keys. Matt gives Josh a hand on the vox as well. River Tunnell handles the guitar work, both bass and six-string. If you ask me, from what I've seen on the jacket of The Iniquity of Time, AP's 1999 full-length, Matthew Edwards is the heroine addict of the group. Together these three slam. Creating sounds originally intended to be "experimentation with electronic music," their work is hardcore, intense and skull smashing. Since 1995 they have been appearing on compilations with their most noticeable track, Parasitic, appearing on quite a few. I was familiar with this track from my copy of T.I.A.M.P. where this particular single appeared. I had said then of this track (which appears in position three on The Iniquity of Time): "Audio Paradox use danceable drum & bass loops, the right amount of samples and scratching guitar riffs that will occasionally rip in where they don't belong. Leather Strip, Klute or similarly influenced, Parasite scratches it's way into you." Most of The Iniquity of Time is designed to hurt you. The guitars are loud and obnoxious, the synths and programming is sweeping and all-engrossing and the vocals are only slightly vox-ridden. You can still hear the human in Josh. Much of it is also reminiscent of Ministry as well as the bands I've already mentioned. It's also taking me longer than usual to write this review up. Almost every time a new track queues up I start bouncing around in my chair. I think I broke it, too. It's really encompassing stuff. Track two is a favorite of mine. Called Collision, it's one of those masterful pieces where the name really reflects not only the lyrics, but the sound of the music. The clashing guitars are very Klute-like and extremely raw. Awesomely done. Transgression is track four and is a deep, bass-laden and moody song. I have an issue with the keyboards/synths here though. They have a bright sound, kind of flutish, but it doesn't fit with the mood set by the rest of the track. Squealish and too bright for this darkness. That's the best I can explain it, anyway. Moving onward, track six is Underlines. This is one of the rare moments where you can catch your breath. Maybe spit out the shards of skull that have collected in your mouth from the previous five. An airy background over which is laid a keyboard scale, the track tends to drone a bit after a while - not enough changes on the programming I guess. But it lets you catch your breath after the heavy slamming of the previous half of the album. You can take another breather on track eight, Threshold, which is also a slower song. It has an eerie quality with whispering samples just under the choral synths. Audio Paradox is a heavy barrage of cyberpunk industrial - purely evil stuff. They create an awesome barrage of head-splitting sound. If you ever wanted to see me go ballz-out stomp and probably take out a few of the annoying angsta-goths that sway around on a dance floor without moving their feet like they're depressively rooted to their spot, kick me out there and then spin some Audio Paradox. If the music don't hurt them, I probably will in my rendition of a tank on acid. Oh, and to Josh, Matthew and River - you guys owe me a new chair. Contact Information: |
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What is WITH Texas? The
Lonestar state has given us Puncture, Gropius, Hard Sector Error - hell, take a
look at my review of T.I.A.M.P. - "Tactics of Infiltration"(1) just to get an
idea of the kick-ass industrial scene that they have. My friend Kim is moving
to Texas soon (Mister -X-, he's done some reviews for Legends as well) and it's
good to know that while he'll be far away from me, he'll still be inundated by
freaks and weirdos even though I'm not around. I've always said that the best
industrial always came out of Germany - but over the past couple of years I'm
not so sure. Us state-siders sure as hell have taken a step or two up in this
regard. The latest of my finds to come out of the home of the Alamo is the
rather harsh and heavy work of Audio Paradox - and they may just as well carry
the torch of kick-ass non-German industrial stomping as anyone else I've
listened to lately. I don't know if Texas has a good supply or heroine or if
the populace there gets so flippin' bored they have nothing better to do but
create great music, but DAMN. Says my buddy Mac of In Perpetual Motion radio
(http://www.gothicindustrial.com), "It's Texas' way of apologizing for
crybabies like Mentallo and the Fixer." Apology accepted.
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