Just sticking some FACT stuff up as and when I do it.
Board up the House
Lovepump United, 2LP
Electro-Grindcore monsters Genghis Tron return with their second full-length album. But is it a case of ‘one was enough’ (a la Andrew W.K.), or are the Tron embarking on a journey of constant improvement?
There is definitely more melody here, but not at the expense of heaviness or quality. This record is all about varying shades and dynamics, rather than the binary quiet/loud, synth/organism of the intentionally cold-technological Dead Mountain Mouth; making that album seem rather limited in hindsight.
A boldly chiming electronic melody opens, contrasting greatly with the almost apologetic electronic tones the band used previously (‘we’ll get you to the moshing in due course’, they sighed, like a musical Test Card). While the effect is similar to brash ravesploitation warriors Captain Ahab, the overall aesthetic is almost innocent, like Perrey-Kingsley/Plone. The variety comes not just between rock-melody and -thrash, but the dark Noisecore grooves and sunny-(d)light synth tones.
The still-screaming vocals are all well and visceral, but they render unintelligible some poignant lyrics, a dynamic facet adding depth only for those bothered to read. The titles hint (‘Things Don’t Look Good’, ‘Colony Collapse’), but there is a sadness in Mookie’s words that contrasts with both metal aggression and vibrant electro-melody; are these gleaming musical structures merely façade, the bravely smiling face while Tron cries inside? While we’re warned ‘You’ll come to fear / Each day / Each night’, this is a refreshingly well-written Dystopia.
The one song with relatively optimistic denouement (in the Oldboy sense) is ‘Relief’. An epic housed on its own disc, its relatively languid pace runs in opposition to the hyperspeed ravings of what preceded. And it’s fantastic for it. This ‘new’ sound might not last, but at least it’ll die contented: ’If we’re broke / It’s the right time / All will be forgotten / All will be well’.
throughsilver in blog 