| .reviews. |
| Review Source: ChainDLK Artist: THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN Title: You Knew It All Along Format: CD Label: Facility records Rated: 4 stars Brooklyn experimental music project THINGS
OUTSIDE THE SKIN are back with a new full length CD that represents
a definite evolution and improvement over their previous, more dark,
release. "You Knew It All Along" packs together twenty-three
tracks of cutting edge aggro-electronica that mixes together experimental
vibes, aggressive electronic music, aggro-industrial attitude and
mechanical noises all complemented by a refreshing and intelligent
political punk attitude. The band reminds me of australians Eye, but
if you don't remember them, you might think of T.O.T.S. as a well
mixed cocktail of Skinny Puppy, Pop Will Eat Itself, Consolidated,
Godflesh, Sloppy Wrenchbody, Flugschadel, Headcrash, Ministry and
other similar bands. All these comparisons are very fitting, for one
reason or another, and it's up to you to find out how these influences
are mixed together. A good occasion for that, would be their visually-enhanced
live shows. If you don't live in NYC, they'll be on tour in November
to support the release of this record. Don't miss out. Artist: THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN are back for their fifth release, “You Knew it all Along.” t.o.t.s. is Chvad SB (vocals/programming), Blight Productions (bass), and The 1-2-3-4 (drums), interesting names to add to the curiousness of this colorful new release. t.o.t.s.’ sound is composed of, basically, dirty gangster rap above spooky and aged sci-fi themes—or, better put, a nightmarish amusement park moving in slow motion. My first impression about this release was that it would be blatantly evil with not much intrinsic value, however; upon listening and reading the lyrics I was quick to discover this band actually has a healthy(?) sense of humor, and a smart approach to their subject matter that is quickly infectious. While I’m not a big fan
of industrial rap, THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN does an extremely convincing
job of merging the two genres, and does it better than most acts I’ve
heard. t.o.t.s. is not, by any means, limited to rap—as they
show an affinity for EBM and touch on a variety of other genres. Regardless
your interests, though, t.o.t.s.' violating cover of the Spice Girls’
“Spice up Your Life” alone is well worth any price asked
for this album. |