SELF CONTAINED
"Nightmares"
(Self-produced; 2003)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
Self-Contained is 18 minutes of the most haunting music I've heard in a long time.
Sounding more than a little like the gloomiest Type O Negative songs, "Nightmares" begins with the crawling, throbbing, fuzzy-guitared "The More You Take (The Less I Give)." It's the kind of heavy metal that ghosts might listen to after midnight. From that point on, the fuzzy, crunch guitar is gone. "Sorrow's End" is next, a breathtaking instrumental that's just strange enough to leave an edge of uneasiness in your step. "As One" is another eerie tune, with a slithering bass riff and ethereal vocals backed with lightly acoustic guitars. "Nightmares" is much the same, with the guitars moving to the forefront. There's a great solo here as well. The CD closes with "I Don't Know," another creepy tune with a truly haunting chorus.
Created by Bloody Maiden's Adam (click here to read our Bloody Maiden reviews), Self Contained sounds little like the earlier incarnation. Adam's music style has grown and evolved and the end result is a CD that is considerably more involving and effective than Bloody Maiden. It's not the kind of stuff you'll bang your head to, but it'll get into your head anyway. It's an exercise in the colder side of rock'n'roll and it's an exercise that succeeds rather brilliantly.
For more information, check out http://www.selfcontained.150m.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.
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Copyright © 2003 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 01 Dec 2019 12:47:21 -0500.
