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Set On Stun, "Reveals the Shocking Truth"
D=RxT Recordings, released: 1998
Why must music these days be so musical? Sounds and noise and people sing, drums beating, it all comes together in the form of songs. Oh yeah, and don't forget science. Set on Stuns new release, "Reveals the Shocking Truth. . .", is made up up of all these things. And it works. I'm listening to this and I'm hearing a lot of good, solid influences. But I'm also hearing the hand made sound of an angry garage. A basis for existence in the real world. Historically I would site Wire and Mission of Burma as sonic starting points, but I would not site these as being derivative. The music is complicated with lots of time changes. They crank with the concept of dynamic range, which makes me very happy. They barrel along and then the music skids to a stop as the song plays on. Rock 'n' Roll has a way of forgetting to include the quite parts. If it's all played through amps set at eleven then the results can be numbing. They wrench the anthemic power out of each song. I bet they cook with fire live.
Did I mention that these guys can play? They can play. Ten Songs at under 40 minutes proves that understand the format of an album of songs. It increases the chance of finding less filler, and they make there point with the ten songs included here. And they also continue the long tradition of good band/stupid name. Good song titles too.
[BdeV 3/9/98]
These guys remind me of a combo of DC hardcore-cum-art-rockers Fugazi
slammed together with Men at Work and DC groovecore-gone-bustos Soul Side.
And I mean that as a compliment. A couple of the songs shift too much from
the catchy to the dissonant (the changes in "Ill Gift/Infusion"), but
several of the other tracks get where they mean to be going and are good
when they get there ("Wreckage", "Still Working, No Progress"). But there
really is a heavy Fugazi sound here (especially in the guitars; is that
what made them want to record at Dischord's oft-used Inner Ear Studios?). I
think this record is good and may give many out there repeat good
listenings. But there's really no new ground being tread. I give it a
positive review wishing they took the music to the next level a little bit
more.
[CCL 3/3/98]