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Skrew: Angel seed XXIII
23/09/09 || Daemonomania
Like every other subgenre, industrial metal has some champions and some chumps. Skrew. Always chosen last in gym class. Not like “down on my luck and can’t pay the rent” style chumps either. More like “woke up in a culvert with a beer can sticking out of my ass” full-on losers. They’ve broken up now so reviewing “Angel seed” seems like dragging a dead robohorse through the streets to beat it. But this is GD. We live for that shit. DROP IT, robohorse.
On display here we have elements to which any 1997 industrial bandwagoneers would subscribe. Imagine a poor man’s version of Ministry crossed with Marylyn Manson. Toss in a few more riffs. Place album in CD player. Take drugs. Hallucinate that you’re listening to something cool. Take even more drugs. Feel vision narrow to a bright point of light. Step in. Guten nacht.
If you’re still alive, however, you’ll notice the production is very nice but sadly highlights the blandfest that is Skrew. The vocalist is cranking up the Al Jorgensenizer device to the max, probably to hide his weakness. The guitars are crunchy and so downtuned you could drop the damn things down a set of stairs and it would sound like a Rammstein album. Just kidding you crazy umlauts. Add some half-assed electronics even hangers-on like Gravity Kills would leave off their finished product. Are the drums and bass played by real people? If so I don’t wanna know about it.
Despite all the negative, there are some highlights. The first track has a good chugging pace, “Seventh eye” incorporates semi-interesting Middle Eastern themes (basically a poor man’s “Blood milk and sky”), and there’s a bonus cover of the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” which is actually pretty badass. If only ole Chazz Manson could find some spare time in between carving swastikas in his forehead and inadvertently writing Decapitated lyrics I’m sure he’d enjoy it too.
That’s that. Another shit album to be added to the reviews archives. Don’t bother with any of the songs unmentioned in this review unless you’ve got a penchant for mediocrity. Thanks again Metal Blade. On a final note, one of Skrew’s former members was in a band called 3D House of Beef. If it ain’t broke as they say…
- Information
- Released: 1997
- Label: Metal Blade
- Website: Skrew MySpace
- Band
- Adam Grossman: vocals, guitars
- Steve Green: guitars
- Jason Chipman: guitars
- Frap: bass
- Chris: drums
- Jim Vollentine: keyboards
- Tracklist
- 01. Open Up
- 02. Sea Man
- 03. Seventh Eye
- 04. King of the Hole
- 05. Porcelain
- 06. Kosmo’s Seed
- 07. Sputnik
- 08. Angel Suck
- 09. Horsey (Man)
- 10. Slip
