MYSTECHS
Mystechs (Omega Point)
Reviewed by DJ Johnson

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The sixth album from Chicago's Mystechs won't disappoint their fans, who've come to expect a blender full of musical styles that shouldn't work together but, as it turns out, do just fine, thank you. They always toss in a few dozen cups of humor as well, a la Zappa, much of which hits the mark. This time out they put forth the theory that "Rock & Roll Killed The Eskimos" and rap their way through "Hockey Night" and it's killer cruising beat, gasp out a precautionary tale in "The South Dakota Gluebag Connection" and open the cage door on a scary little critter named "Evil Bob" (who sounds a bit like Gregory Peccary a week after taking himself off anti-depressants). It's all a lot of fun, but I do have one complaint. On a few tracks it felt like the drums were completely screwed up. I mean off the beat. On the aforementioned "Evil Bob" it's just a few changes that need some fine tuning, but I just can't imagine why they added echo to the snare on "Beast." Not a nice little ambient echo off into the ether, but a drain-pipe rapid-fire echo that makes the timing go all to hell. Perhaps I'm pickier about this kind of thing than most, but I was quite anxious for the track (or the effect) to end. The rest is just fine. Nothing that's gonna change the world, but a fun distraction, and probably the international debut of "suffocation vocals," which may become a trend. All the glue huffing kids will join bands. Gluecore. It could happen.

© 2005 - DJ Johnson