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CUBANATE "Interference"
TVT/Wax Trax! records, released: 1998
I don't know too much about these guys except that they're from England and they have one or more previous releases on the defunct Noise label. Noise was primarily an extreme metal label releasing bands like CELTIC FROST but CUBANATE is what some people casually refer to as "Industrial"or "Industrial/Dance". Even though I'm not really incredibly interested in this type of music, I picked this up at a recent show on a whim and was pleasantly(?) surprised, because these guys do it very well. I added the question mark to "pleasantly" because it's hard to think of this album in terms like pleasant, because it's one of the darkest, bleakest records I've heard in a while...It sounds like a methamphetamine and alcohol psychosis. Musically it's a lot of sampled drums layered with some cool synth sounds and buzzsaw guitars. The vocals are really harsh and menacing, with lots of echo and fairly depressing sentiments about isolation, alienation etc. On the big plus side, they deliver with plenty of conviction and intensity, and they've got some really cool textures and sounds. It's got lots of energy and it seems like they're trying to take this form of music and inject it with some genuine ferocity, and they do; It really sounds malevolent. On the minus side, some of the drum sounds are a little too consistent throughout the whole album. Also, their music is a little bit one-dimensional as far as the sound and message, but then again, if you're in the mood for it, it's perfect. On the last song, "An Airport Bar", when they sing about being in an airport bar and feeling like you've been there for an eternity, it makes me want to fucking kill myself, and I've never even BEEN in a stupid airport bar. The album was co-produced by Rhys Fulber who seems to do a lot of producing and plays in the band FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY. Also, in the liner notes they thank the band PITCHSHIFTER and actually they do sound a bit reminiscent of them.
[KENNY 2000 8/18/98]