 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Blotto
Singles Collection 2004-2007 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Tracklist |
|
|
|
|
|
01 - 10.000 Db
02 - Dead Loss Angeles
03 - Gabba
04 - Queen Of Bees
05 - We Will Survive
06 - King Of Kings
07 - Fast And Furious
08 - Need Your Love |
|
|
|
|
|
Review |
|
|
|
|
|
Metal chicks. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Blonde bimbos with exposed cleavages, low morals, trailer trash boyfriends, and a predilection for Slayer. Right? Well, not in Japan. In Japan, MetalChicks is two women playing metal guitar alongside the swirling of ambient dance beats.
Sugar Yoshinaga (Buffalo Daughter) and Yuka Yoshimura (DMBQ/OOIOO) formed MetalChicks in Tokyo in 2000 and this is their first album. And what an album. First track "10.000 Db" opens with pounding drums before, twenty seconds later, a churning repeating metal guitar riff joins in. There are no vocals, and after a while it starts to feel like it might just be too heavy... which is exactly when the synths kick in and the whole tune becomes hauntingly ethereal in nature.
This is metal with an added electronic twist. Yuka Yoshimura plays her guitar to create attacks of whirling rock power, and uses her sequencer to add layers of atmospheric soundscapes, while Sugar Yoshinaga smashes the drums like an out of control cyborg. Some of the songs on this album have no vocals, and those that do have them aren't obvious - due to the use of a vocoder that makes them sound like an integral part of the flowing synthetic grooves.
"We Will Survive" sounds suspiciously similar to "Cars," but that's not necessarily a bad thing as the rock tinged retro-synth-sound is handled perfectly. "King of Kings," on the other hand, is a lighter more uplifting effort, and even has the sounds of birds singing throughout the latter half of it! It's strange, but somehow it works.
It's amazing how well the two genres of dance and rock have been fitted together to create something else in its own right. What exactly that something is, is hard to say. Dance-Metal? Electronic-Rock? Groove-Metal? Ambient-Rock? Who cares. Whatever the hell it is, it rocks! ... and grooves!
My only complaint about this fantastic album is that, at 30 minutes and 12 seconds long, it's simply too short. So I really can't wait for their next release (Warau Michael Original Soundtrack) which is due out later this year. Here's hoping it's as good as 'MetalChicks'! |
|
|
|
|
|
back to reviews |
|
|
|
|
