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Bottom
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You'r Next
Small Stone Records
Release: 3/15/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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You know when you walk into a room not knowing what
everybody's talking about, and you get the feeling you've
missed out on something? That's the way I feel about this
release. Bottom is an all girl band from New York City, and this
is their third record.
I can't really say I like it, but it strangely feels like it's a good
record and somehow I'm just not getting it. It's metal of a
unique variety. There are droning minor chords,
sludge-covered guitars, alongside trumpet and flute segments.
These are drowned around mysterious witch-like vocals and
banshee from hell fire screaming.
Bottom is Sina on guitar and vocals, Nila on bass and
Clementine on drums. They have been playing together since
1999 and it shows in the synchronicity of their playing. They
have an almost intuitive sense of how to interact with each
other. There's a loose tightness, if you know what I
mean.
Each cut moves from a sonic tapestry of feedback harmonics to
full out WWIII. The exceptions are the last several cuts of the
record. "Rainy Day Blues" is an upbeat blues cut driven by a
cowbell. This is preceded by an almost a cappella version of
the first verse (bass only) - interesting. "The Traveller," a
straight-ahead rock song with a restrained vocal, follows it up.
An instrumental, "Incantation 13," with some electronica bits
and some thick riffs closes out the record.
I don't know what to make of this record. It has some good
parts and a lot of atmospheric, stoner rock. I could say when
the band knows what it wants to be; it could churn out an
interesting set of songs. But I still have the feeling the band
does know what it wants to be and is living it out now. I may
be the one out of the loop. You'll have to make up your own
mind. |
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