Review Source: Virus Magazine
Artist: THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN
Title: You Knew It All Along
Label: Facility Records
Rating: 7 out of 10

Um…there are two versions of the Spice Girls’ “Spice Up Your Life.”

Self-described as an “aggro-tech industrial band from Brooklyn, NY”, Things Outside The Skin is one of those bands that is impossible to describe accurately, because the band does not sound like anyone else.

Personally, I have always appreciated bands that take chances and experiment with sound. And that’s what this CD sounds like: an experiment, which is not necessarily a bad thing, depending on what you want to listen to.

Basically, what you have here is a brew of politico-rants chopped in a distorto-matic blender, humorous samples, and pants-around-your-ankles fratboy music devoid of melody and sanity, cruising back and forth between Tribeca partygirls dancing to the Beastie Boys, to smashing beer bottles with slingshots in a subway tunnel with the Residents.

There are 23 tracks of mayhem and skidoo, but with little variation to be found, with the exception of some decent remixes (tracks 15 and 17), and an, albeit brief, untitled sample-gem (track 23).

This CD certainly provides a strong case for less is better. Interesting, but not captivating. 7 out of 10 skulls rating.

-review by Michael Casano