Minus "Halldór Laxness" CD
[Victory]
Whoa, whoa, whoa... what the hell? I'm immediately confused as shit when this thing kicks off with a weird discordant rhythmic riff and some unusual singing vocals. In fact, the opening track utilizes singing almost exclusively, rarely opting for the caustic screaming that was so prevalent on the band's last outing. They named this disc after the late Icelandic author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955, and I'm not sure what that's supposed to signify, but if it signifies this record being not half as over the top or creative as their last record... well, they've hit the nail right on the head. Though I doubt that's what they were going for. But this doesn't even sound like the same band to me. The songs are a lot more melodic and straightforward, using mostly singing vocals and a much more basic style of composing that still has connections to bands like Botch and such, but more rock-based and far less interesting. This is definitely not at all as curious as their last record. "Insomniac" is the only truly great song here, using mostly clean and acoustic guitars with calm singing and a more emotional, memorable atmosphere that really works. I just can't get over the weird sort of aggressive indie rock vibe that's going on with the rest of the disc. And the vocals... they're just... I don't know. The guy's singing voice is good, but the style is way too quirky to fall back on for the vast majority of the album. And what the fuck is with all the "Oooh, baby!" bullshit? I miss the screaming. I definitely miss the screaming. But I do like the emphasis on rhythm. I will say that. The percussion really drives a lot of this material, and the basslines can be pretty forceful. And I definitely think the recording is a lot better on this record because it's got more density to it. It's got its areas of edgy abrasiveness, but it's a lot tighter and more controlled, which is really good. The drums are totally natural, the bass is thick (though it needs more volume), the guitars are dissonant but kept in check, and the vocals are well placed in the mix. This is about the only improvement they've made, though. The layout is wild. The front cover has a nasty close-up shot of an eyeball, and inside are several other large close-up shots of eyes, and one really nasty shot of the back of a throat. Bizarre, bizarre stuff. All of the other pages are bright yellow and the text is all printed vertically, so you have to turn the booklet to the left to read everything. The lyrics can be disjointed and odd, but they tend to be fairly interesting. "Hear the sound of crying drifting in my brain elevator prozac going insane. Dislocated daybreak hangs around my neck. Pale against the canvas, get ready for a change. I feel a hole inside my body. I want to go where insects hide the silence. I sleep on a concrete bed, wake up to see all the long faces, leaving traces of broken hopes. Life leaves shortcuts of happy trails, history is the only thing that can take care of us." Nothing is as gorgeous or curious as it was on the last record (the layout on the Icelandic pressing of "Jesus Christ Bobby" was fucking amazing), though. Honestly I just can't tell what the hell they're going for with this record. It doesn't sound like Minus, at least not Minus as defined by their earlier work. It sounds like overproduced garage rock meets stereotypical metalcore meets indie rock with a dash of actual innovation (check out the horns and female vocals in "Last Leaf Upon the Tree", for example). If I said this wasn't a letdown I'd be lying through my teeth. There's no way in hell this record is going to get the band anywhere. If anything this is going to be the record that catapults them back into obscurity. Nothing here is very exciting at all. Fuck, I'm in a state of utter shock. Why the fuck did they go this route? This is one of the most boring records I've ever heard from a once vastly promising band. Ridiculous. (5/10)
Running time - 43:30, Tracks: 12
[Notable tracks: The Long Face, Insomniac, Last Leaf Upon the Tree]
Victory Records - http://www.victoryrecords.com

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