This review is by Mike. Go to Killing Time to read the rest of the review. I am going to take a look at two releases that are very much a part of the "electronic metal" wave we are experiencing. Both albums are excellent, but in distinctly different ways.... ["Cultural Minority"], from New York's Uranium 235, has been more of a sleeper. It was released quietly, with little or no fanfare, but has turned out to be a surprisingly unique release. It is almost unfair to call Uranium 235 a "metal" band, although that is decidedly the easiest category to lump them into. Where Disturbed are a metal band infused with an electronic edge, U235 are an electronic band infused with a metal edge. Describing U235's sound is very tough, as there are so many elements that pervade their overall product. They are an Industrial/ Techno band, with a strong Metal leaning, a slight hint of late 80's "Hair Metal" (which you really have to listen for), a big slice of 80's Techno-Pop, and a dash of Goth. Hard to believe that any one band can be all of these things? Trust me, it can be done, and these guys prove it. U235 have come out of the New York scene and delivered their debut CD "Cultural Minority" to Europe first, in 1998. The disc has just surfaced on US soil this year and has been largely overlooked, which is a shame really, as there are so many musical gems on it. The album opens with "Radio Shut Down", a song that blends almost every element of the band's sound to establish just what to expect from them throughout the entire disc. The verses are sung between a melodic vocal and a raspy roar by lead vocalist Shane. The song reads almost like the band's personal manifesto, talking about individuality and politics, two themes that run all through the album. The second song "Here it Comes" puts a lot of the focus on just how good a singer Shane is, and delivers a very memorable chorus that is hard to resist singing along to. The song actually comes off as more of a Goth-tinged Depeche Mode-type of thing, but that vibe is thrown off by the vocals in the chorus. It isn't very heavy, but is definitely a great song. Next up is "Stimulation", which has a heavy Dance beat, with a Prodigy sort of feel to it. Again, this song isn't exactly heavy, but is so catchy that it doesn't matter. The song leans fully on their electronic side with optimum results, and delivers with the driving beat and quirky samples. The fourth song on the CD is where it all comes together. "God Thing" is the first song we are pushing from the disc on Killing Time. It is the sum of all of Uranium 235's parts, as it comes at the listener with the driving Industrial beat, grinding Metal guitars, growling vocals, and some very interesting samples. The song is so good in fact, that it leaves you wanting more past the 4:04 length of the track. "Creator" comes back at you with more of a Dance-like beat, but flip-flops between that and the Metal thing all through. The sixth song on the album is one of my favorites, "Walk On Through". There is very little that is Metal about the song. But it delivers with a Devo-like guitar, and driving beat, and a vocal that practically falls squarely in 80's "Hair-Metal". The guitars crunch just enough that the song will likely find it's way onto Killing Time eventually. "Walk" jumps without a break into "Drown", which is a slower tempo track that is largely on the Techno side with a slice of heavy guitar. It is a very moody track that owes a lot to early Techno-Pop acts like Depeche Mode and The Fixx and is sure to deliver a nostalgic feeling to anyone around from that era of music, as it does me. Mellow though it may be, I absolutely love the song. The band's namesake is the next track, "Uranium 235". The song skews back into the metal side and features samples of the band's name and other samples dealing with nuclear radiation. The lyrics of the song deal with humanity's struggle to survive into the new century and our ability to self-destruct. "Scent Explosion" has a driving techno beat, with heavy guitar crunches and some killer sampling. The song hops around between being heavy and poppy, but is sewn together into a very compelling track. "Bleed My Disease" follows and stays on the Industrial edge, with a Gothic leaning. If I were to choose a track that is least memorable on the CD it would be this one, but that is not to say it is all bad, because it certainly is not. Just that compared to the other songs, it comes up lacking. Up next is a cover of a classic 80's Pop hit "You Spin Me Round", originally performed by Dead or Alive. I'll come back to this one in just a moment. The disc finishes up with another of my favorite cuts, "Right Sir Blight". This song has a killer Techno beat, but with enough guitar and pounding rhythm to make it hold up to any heavy song. The moaning background vocals during the chorus really get under your skin and drive the already slick hook right into your very being. This is one of those songs that I put on repeat and wear the living hell out of. It is that good. "Right" also features a few excellent samples that highlight the brief breaks in the beat. It is the second shortest track on the album and leaves you wanting more at the end.It is worth mentioning that the band has a much richer history in metal than they even mention in their bio's or on their website, a history that they are purposefully ignoring, which, to me, makes them even more interesting. Like Society 1 last year, Uranium 235 is a band that is doing something so different from everybody else that they stand out. And yet, they are "underground" enough that most people are going to completely overlook them, just like they did Society 1. If you pride yourself on being an individual and like to take on musical experiences outside of the beaten path, U235 is definitely for you. And even if you tend to stick with the stuff that other people pave the way on out of fear of trying something too different, I would still recommend the album. "Cultural Minority" is musically excellent, has great vocals, gets heavy at times, and has a great beat in every song. Dare to be different I say, and pick this one up.Now each of the aforementioned albums has one thing in common, aside from their roots in electronica.... U235 go the other route with their cover of Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)", in that they perform the song in almost the exact same way as the original. Some of you will remember the first version of this song from Adam Sandler's movie "The Wedding Singer". Anyway, U235 stick to the original up until the three minute mark, when they break the song down into a very soft rendition of Soft Cell's "Tainted Love", another memorable 80's Pop/ Dance hit. They quickly jump back into the driving beat of "You Spin Me" and take the song home. The song is only slightly heavier than Dead or Alive's version, but certainly does it proud, and is a cool addition to the CD.If you are going to take my advice on any two additions to your CD collection this spring, make it these two very enjoyable releases. Thanks for stopping in and reading the latest "Are You Listening?". I'll have another coming your way before long, so stay tuned and keep your ears to Killing Time for all the latest and greatest heavy music. |