THE PHANTOM LIMBS
Random Hymns (Gold Standard)
Reviewed by Erick Mertz

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The Phantom Limbs, dubious of Oakland, California, seem, at least on the surface, to be derived from the Iggy Pop School of self-abuse, tinged with a post modern self-mocking tone and a furiously industrial bend. Listening to their record Random Hymns might feel like a trip to Negativeland without the humor, or skillfully avant garde noise. Hopeless' screaming vocals invoke the type of tension on the nervous system akin to a reckless fingernail on a chalkboard. When laid over Stevenson Sedgewick's keyboards, blood pressures are bound for prescription medication; one minute into the opener "Topanga Canyon Torture" is enough of an ordeal to turn an album like Random Hymns into the circular file.

But that quick dismissal would be a mistake... perhaps. Of its scant five songs, the ten-minute "Jackalope Rising" is a kaleidoscope of layered sounds, goofy samples and laughable moments that make for something experimentally fascinating. The 'Jumanji' and 'Genesis' loops are nightmarish effects, and the subtle American Movie reference is an extraordinary addition. As the samples are coming fast and tenacious, Mike Klösoff's relentless drums lay down a proud backbone. It might be one of the more original, in your face tracks in recorded history, certainly enough to summon a record like Random Hymns up from the dead.

© 2005 - Erick Mertz