 Metropolis |WaxTrax! Records, 1997| 
1. This Metal Sky, 2. Desperation, 3. Temptation, 4. Think, 5. Living Without You, 6. Torque, 7. White Lightning, 8. Everything, 9. What Do You Want From Me, 10. Admit, 11. Bitter End, 12. Cut Down
Veteran Chris Randall returns with another Sister Machine Gun album, titled Metropolis. Coming from a wide influence of genres, Randall has incorporated his past experiences into a solid album.
The title track — "This Metal Sky" — has Randall's wife Lisa speak some sort of propaganda-sounding script. She discusses manipulation, control, judgment, and a bunch of other shit that doesn't really click in. Upon hearing all of that gibberish, I was expecting a concept album. But as it turns out, Metropolis is not a concept album.
Since we're on the subject of lyrics, I'll start the review there. Most of the lyri--…well, wait. ALL of the lyrics are pure angst: Stress, hate, depression, regret, confusion, and the likes. I suppose the theme had fit well for SMG's previous 3 albums, but when part 4 came along, it became old. Fast.
Despite the lyrics coming off as dusty and old, the music itself evolved yet again. The guitar riffs, electronic leads, and stiff drums are present as usual. Other new genre influences can be found in the songs "Living Without You" (funk reappears again), "Think" (techno grooves creates the song), "Admit" (Randall blends in piano and string instruments), and others. Yet, a song such as "Torque" even goes back to SMG's 1994 release. Randall's quick voice, a noteworthy guitar riff, and a frenzy of electronic noises would fit perfectly in 1994.
Metropolis is a solid effort by Sister Machine Gun. Even though the lyrics have gotten dull, the music itself has not. Randall can a pretty damn creative individual in certain areas, and as time has proven, he can evolve Sister Machine Gun to the next level. (Xenerki)
|
HOME
Detailed single song review + publishing
Detailed album review + publishing
Promotional interview + publishing
News
Reviews and interviews: