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Non-Prog CD Reviews

Creature Feature

Creature Feature

Review by Gary Hill

For those looking for some music to crank out for their Halloween party, it’s hard to imagine finding much better than this. While overall this is somewhat typical techno rock with goth influences, they pull enough horror movie themes and textures into the mix to make it perfect for your fright fest. I’d have to say that it’s a shame there isn’t more music here, as this is just a three song EP. Still, there isn’t anything that I would consider overly weak. For more information be sure to check out the group’s myspace.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.
Track by Track Review
The Greatest Show Unearthed
A twisted carnival barker introduces the horrifying show to come. With twisted electronica moving behind him. This bursts out into a rather joyous and bouncy, but still dark and evil sounding texture that seems to have elements of Nine Inch Nails merged with Gary Numan and Depeche Mode. This moves out into a rather odd, but quite interesting, instrumental segment that seems to combine Middle Eastern music with something akin to the soundtrack to the Munsters. A cool noisy guitar solo enters after another verse and is joined by more of the keys and Munsters sounds. This is a lot of fun and a great beginning. A scratched record sound effect ends it.
Bound and Gagged
Creepy keys start this off and as the spoken vocals join to create the basis for the introduction this takes on more of those NIN leanings. This cut is much less dramatic and unique, coming across more as sort of a fairly standard dark techno-based rock number. I hear bits of NIN along with Bliss, Marilyn Manson and even Belfegore. This one is good. It just doesn’t hold up to the opener. There is still enough dark cinematic texture here to keep it interesting, though.
Aim For the Head
A total change of pace, this one starts with a bouncy, weird sort of melody line. A news report plucked from the Night of the Living Dead is added to the top of this. As this introduction winds through the cut takes on a bouncy techno approach. This one is definitely a step up from the last track, but still doesn’t have the kind of oomph that the first piece did. It’s really tough to get a good idea of what an act is capable of based on three songs, but if “Bound and Gagged” is the weakest they have to offer, this is a strong outfit. More movie sounds are interspersed in a break in the midst of the track.
  
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