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Todd
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Purity Pledge
Southern Records
Release: 4/05/2005
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Rated:
Review by:
Morley Seaver
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Kerrang gave the five-song debut EP by Todd an
enthusiastic five stars, so that should tell you metal-heads a
good chunk of what you need to know about this band. The
British Bible of metal likes 'em lean, loud and legitimate. And
that's what you get with this project from Craig Clouse, "A
Texan in London," according to his bio sheet. Todd is like what
the brain scan readout of a psychotic would sound like if set to
music. The band got their beginning when Clouse was asked to
open a secret show for The Breeders in London. The show
went so well it turned into a full-blown project.
This band is brutal, but there is a beauty in the brutality. The
debut full-length record, Purity Pledge, features
12 cuts of uncompromising snippets of mayhem. Melody
abounds throughout the record, although not right off the bat.
The first cut, "Sharon After Prom," has a blasting bottom end
that sounds like somebody's finger is on the vinyl -
doom-ridden like early Sabbath.
"Little Dipper to Squirrel" features some off-the-medication
spasmodic moments that would make steel curl. The loosen-
the-neck-ligaments head bang of "Butler's Portion" is heavy but
melodic. "Sedan" is unapologetic in its torque, sort of like a
Panzer tank mowing down the enemy.
"I write about prostitutes, drug-addicts, alcoholics,
wife-beaters, all the typical rock 'n' roll shit... I don't know why
I write about that stuff, just dark lyrics to suit the dark music, I
guess. I'm not saying anything about myself, these are all
characters," says Clouse on his site. These characters certainly
fit the music, however. Todd is dark, punishing, and without
remorse. If you take the ride though, it's also cathartic, mind-
altering and a lot of fun. |
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