THE SURFACTANTS
"Of
the Bones of the Face" (Self-produced; 2007)
Reviewed by R. Scott Bolton
According to the sticker on this CD, The Surfactants are a "hard rocking new-wave band based in the frigid wastelands of northern Minnesota, featuring metal riffs, screaming synths and revolutionary vocals." As much as that tells you about the band, the list of influences that follows will tell you even more: Polysics, Faith No More, Devo, Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode.
Try, if you can, to conceive of a CD that sounds like the five above-mentioned bands if the members were all in one band together. I've never heard the Polysics, but the tracks on "Of the Bones of the Face" have the progressive edge of Faith No More, the fearless experimentation of Devo, some of the galloping power of Iron Maiden and some of the seriousness of Depeche Mode. If that sounds like a bit of overkill to you, you're not far wrong. "Of the Bones of the Face" is complicated stuff, for the most part, and sometimes the gears of the various genres forced into play here don't mesh.
Overall, the tracks on this CD are an interesting experiment, some of which works much better than other. The CD is at its best when the band is crunching genres together but it tends to get a little dull when it falls back into typical new wave material.
Still, if you're looking for something a little different, The Surfactants' are certainly offering just that.
The Surfactants: Eric Anderson — Bass; Zac Bentz — Drums, Programming; Marcus Matthews — Vocals; Brett Molitor — Guitar.
For more information, check out http://www.thesurfactants.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 © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 01 Apr 2024 11:14:19 -0500.
