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Grand FatalAllies Setfiretomyhome/Shock I almost feel like there's no point reviewing this disc. Much hype has preceded Sydney's Grand Fatal: Blunt Magazine called this, their debut full-length (after a short 18 months together) the "most anticipated album of the year" before it was released and shortly thereafter gave it a modest 9 out of 10. I guess the real question is: does 'Allies' live up to the hype? Short answer: yes. Long answer: I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Grand Fatal love At The Drive-In. But who doesn't? A chump, that's who. The guitar sound on this album is extremely reminiscent of the late post-punk kings, but that sure ain't a bad thing. Opener Decoder is amazing - when vocalist Jimmy Fatal yells out that things have "got critical / It just got critical!" you can't help but shyly look at your feet and mumble, "yes sir, Mister Fatal sir, please don't hurt me." But that doesn't compare to the frenetic bass-and-feedback-driven breakdown of the same song. Ouch, that smarts. As in Decoder, Grand Fatal are at the best when they are they are the most direct. The jam session that breaks up Solarise is too lumbering to really work; conversely Castaway is simple but effective with its fist pumping singalong chant of "when you need an ally! Ally! Ally!" And, in Caught Jetstream, Fatal gets down to the heart of the matter: "let's turn up the gain!" Grand Fatal, despite obvious influences, are one of the most original bands in Australia, doing their own thing in spite of the cookie-cutter scene that forms around them. While the furiously rushed nature of the recording (166 hours in 8 days) can probably excuse the slightly shambolic, slap-dash feel of the album as a whole, it's not quite made up for by the supposed raw energy such a recording process should deliver. It's pretty raw, I guess... but hell, it still rocks.  |
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