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3 out of 10
Another day, another female-fronted American rock band appears, bearing comparisons with Heart, Pat Benatar, Led Zep and,er, Aretha Franklin. Infernophonic's Elaine Tuttle can indeed hold those whoops but appears to have chosen the backing of an anaemic Chili Peppers / Living Colour chimera to pound out her Marley ist / Lennon ist manifesto, coming soon to a holiday camp rock night near you. After reading that the band 'draw their inspiration from a laundry list of influences as wide-ranging as Black Box and Black Sabbath', though, I have to say my hopes weren't high and dropped steadily as the album progressed.
The shiny, effects-laden rawk on offer here gradually builds a standard musical placard; 'life wants to kill me, each moment closer to death' (Karmakaze), 'there's so much blood in the streets and nowhere left to retreat' (Take Aim), 'don't be part of the system, break free - it holds you, controls you' (Invisible Slaves). For all its individualist bombast, there is something cultish going on, however. Upon reaching the final track Eye Of The Jedi, all is revealed. The band rock-rap themselves into a frenzy that George Lucas' lawyers would be all over like Bantha boils. Once they'd stopped laughing.
'Jedi / I set my sights like a Jedi / I walk the sky like a Jedi / I got the eye of a Jedi / I got the balls of a Jedi / I even walk like a Jedi / and I've been fighting my whole life.' That's verse one. Talk about believing in your art and suffering for it. They're not drunk, though, in case you were wondering. As We Don't Need It opines: 'Gotta straighten out now / Who's got the yaz? / Line 'em up bash 'em out, baby / turn into a spaz'. At least I assume it's drink they're on about - Googling 'the yaz' turns up a site for birth control pills, so who knows? 'Why do I torture myself?' Tuttle warbles on Anyone Else. I quite agree, love. You're not the droids we're looking for.
Listen: www.myspace.com/infernophonic
Tracklist:
1. Anyone Else
2. Say Whatcha Mean
3. Middle Of The Road
4. Karmakaze
5. Take Aim
6. Thank You
7. Invisible Slaves
8. Be Here Now
9. Hear Me
10. We Don't Need It
11. Yeah Yeah Yeah
12. Eye of the Jedi
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