View The Review
7 out of 10
The thing that first attracted me to this record was the fact that one of the guitarists used to be in Small Brown Bike. I wasn't too sure what to expect - the other ex-SBB bands I've heard have been rather gentler than the band that preceded them, so I didn't know whether this would be similar or if it would go the other way, taking Small Brown Bike's more metal influences as a starting point.
As it turns out, the latter was pretty close to the truth. Millions are often reminiscent of Drowningman and Forstella Ford, and there is more than just a hint of Black Flag in the tension between the two discordant guitars. Some of Small Brown Bike's more hardcore punk influences are also clear here, especially in the guttural vocals and the pounding drumming.
It's not all good though, there are times now and then when the technical musicianship overpowers where the song feels like it's trying to go a little bit, and there are moments when the bass seems to get lost a little - sometimes when the guitars are in the midst of a particularly technical riff the bass could do with anchoring it all and either disappears in the mix or is just generally too sparse. On the whole, a good album and if you like Rock 'n' Roll Killing Machine era Drowningman then you'll probably enjoy this.
Listen: www.myspace.com/millionschicago
Tracklist:
1. Lest the Professor Catches Fire
2. View from a Sinking Ship
3. Saddle Up and Ride
4. Getting the Last Word
5. Pickpocket
6. Life is Satisfactory
7. Mile High Cake
8. We Make Poor Decisions
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