Wednesday, December 24, 2003  
WXPort
Feedback
 Clubs TonightHot TixBand GuideMP3sBest Music PollSki GuideThe Best '03 
 Clubs By Night | Club Directory | Bands in Town | Concerts: Classical - Pop | Hot Links | Review Archive |  
Home
Listings
Editors' Picks
New This Week
News and Features

Art
Astrology
Books
Dance
Food & Drink
Movies
Music
Television
Theater

Archives
Letters

Classifieds
Personals
Adult
Stuff at Night
The Providence Phoenix
The Portland Phoenix
FNX Radio Network

 
  E-Mail This Article to a Friend
 

Suicide Commando
AXIS OF EVIL
(Metropolis)
Stars graphics

Set aside Johan Van Roy’s tastelessness in calling himself "Suicide Commando" in these times and you’ll find a multitude of obligatory goth-rock sonics in which to reindulge your fancy. Gravelly vocals, overweening orchestrations, Baroque fugue effects, electronic beat breaks, campy theatrics, death-rock marching music — it’s all here, and full of current-event sarcasm, often irresistible ("Cause of Death," "The Reformation," "Neuro Suspension," "One Nation Under God") but just as often charmless, especially the acid-trance numbers ("Mordfabrik," "Evildoer"). As for the session’s dirge ballads, "Sterbehilfe" ("death help") is a scary scream worthy of Rob Zombie, whereas "Plastik Christ" lacks focus — but then who in today’s non-religious Europe really cares about Jesus figures, plastic or otherwise?

BY MICHAEL FREEDBERG


Issue Date: November 14 - 20, 2003
Back to the Music table of contents
  E-Mail This Article to a Friend







about the phoenix |  find the phoenix |  advertising info |  privacy policy |  the masthead |  feedback |  work for us

 © 2000 - 2003 Phoenix Media Communications Group