MALICIOUS INTENT
"Deathpop" (Independent)
Reviewed by Brian Connelly
Gazing upon the packaging deal here, this dichotomous debate rages within
me. Is this whole image here a big tongue-in-cheek joke or some seriously satirical social commentary? It's kind of hard to
judge, but regardless and thankfully, the sonic thrashing laid down in "Deathpop" is not nearly as
disposable as the kiddish cover art. Heed this warning: these guys are not jack-off drumming, three
chord wonder spiky-haired punk goons, nor are they on the same scale of abysmal as Orgy. That
said (with a sigh of relief), on to the music.
Flip to any random track and heavy bass lines and simple boom-boom rhythms will immediately
send off irritable signals to your brain, bracing your music quality sensors for a Kornhead follow-up
band. Just sit through this foul reaction for a few moments and you will be bombarded with some
heavy-duty vocal aggression propelled forward by a deft sonic assault teamwork aiming straight for
your brain. Both versions of "Not Like That" are pristine examples of their capacity. This is by no
means Hatebreed's seminal dream album, but from where this writer stands, it's only a few
steps shy. Even touches of light-hearted rapcore (oxymoron?) splices like
"Don't Worry" and "Clone @" only serve to invigorate the furious foray.
The only problem is when these guys dip into melodious melancholy, like on "Tomato" or the intro to "Three Headed Fetus," which only makes the music stagnate. Which is kind of unfortunate because, as well as they churn out blistering tracks of power-pushing hardcore, if some creativity and variety isn't added to their next effort, they're in danger of stagnating as a whole. Future efforts notwithstanding, this is one bad ass album. I almost wish I paid for it so I could truly call myself a fan. Oh yeah, and though some songs could stand to put a little hardcore heart to fuel the emotional fire, I wouldn't recommend bothering with the princes of teen heart-throb smut, New Kids On The Block. The "Hanging Tough" cover was totally uncalled for, dude.
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 © 1999 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 11 Nov 2024 12:14:34 -0500.
