Chemical Sweet Kid - Tears of Pain

Alright, hands up if you heard "Tears of Blood" on Endzeit Bunkertracks act V and didn't want more of the CSK.
Admittedly, initial impressions suggest that this act has nothing completely unique, the Suicide Commando-esque pitch of the synth not only reminds the listener of "Mindstrip", but commands the same respect and authority that only the harshest of knob-fiddlers can convey.

Shouldn't be a surprise then, to learn that this track is on the first debut album by Julien, and is opening the account. I can't say "Tears of Pain" has been a long time coming (after all, the band was cemented in 2008), but with true business acumen, Advoxya has snapped up this talent faster than you can say "Hocico", and bought this much-anticipated debut to our attention.

It took exactly Five Minutes and Eleven seconds for me to find that original sound I was hunting for earlier - "Human" is built around a driving, un-explored synth sound, which when overlayed with the CSK's harsh vocals, builds a contrast that works in such a disciplined manner that you simply cannot help but love this song.

Purists and Cynics out there that judge an artist based on the name of his act should also sit up and take notice here - although the band name might not sound Industrial, it's about time someone decided to make a name that is actually spelt correctly and shows some variety - seriously, this could have been "Kemikcal Sweet Kid" - i'm glad it isn't. If you really need to question the credentials of the act, I defy you to listen to "Six Feet Under" and tell me this isn't Industrial. It sounds like Skinny Puppy just got punched in the face.

The intro to "So many things" is like a deranged Kindergarten, and if you can't imagine a Clown dancing on the Xylophone with a Knife in his hand, and a Chucky-shaming grin on his face, then I despair.

I think the formula here is to unsettle and concern the listener - the tracks aren't the typical 175 BPM you expect - there's slow tracks, faster and harsher tracks, and even a cover of "Paint it Black", a song which needs no introduction.

In typical Advoxya fashion, we have a release that keeps the listener interested, varies from song to song, and never really categorizes itself into one genre.

Also, to steal the title of a song from this album, it's the "Sad Truth" that this act isn't that well known. Let's see what happens come December. I'm sure this'll be on some "best of the year" lists. May 28 2011