FUDGE
"Dust to Come" (Fastball
Music; 2020)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
First of all, I know that the band's name is clearly listed as =fudge= everywhere on their artwork, etc. I'm choosing not to bother with the "=" bookends. Please don't write me and complain about it.
According to their Facebook page, Fudge is "German Synthesizer Metal" and that's as good a description as any. The songs on this album feature edgy, driving guitars, razor sharp synthesizers and rough-edged vocal stylings. It's a sound that brings to mind Ministry, NIN, Marilyn Manson and the like. It works pretty well, I must say, at least for the most part, with the guitars and the synths blending together with a vibrant power that keeps the entire CD entertaining from beginning to end.
That's not to say everything's perfect. "Mechanical Man" sounds a little too ... well, mechanical and videogame-y, especially at first. The slower-paced but nicely chunked "I'm a Wolf" that follows, however, more than makes up for that. The title track is a perfect example of blending furious metal with synthesizer sounds. The penultimate track, "Dust to Come II," is a fascinating, spoken word piece, backed mostly with sound effects rather than music. It's like a Samuel R. Delaney novel pared down to an apocalyptic poem. But the CD doesn't end with a whimper: "Bittersweet Revenge" closes out the album with one last tune more in line with the previous ones.
I enjoyed "Dust to Come" but can't honestly say how often I'll return to it; although I am drawn to that spoken word track as I write this review.
For more information, check out https://fudge-official.com/.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2020 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights reserved.
