In theory, this could be the be the AMT release that's the easiest to review, & certainly the easiest to 'categorise'.
One could just say 'It consists of two long rock tracks, followed by a throwaway sounding short & messy rock piece', & that would be a 100% accurate review. Unlike some AMT releases, there's no diversity of styles between the different tracks, no unusual instruments or ambient sections, & no experimental elements in the mixing & production. Each of the tracks sound like they could be perfectly reproduced in a gig by their five piece lineup (2 guitars, bass, drums & synth) & I imagine it's just a straightforward real time live in the studio recording, in which individual instrument levels were set, & nothing was significantly changed in the subsequent mixing & production (other than overdubbing a few extra layers of lead guitar).
Of course, the word 'rock' covers a wide range of styles, & even when AMT are 'rocking out', they often don't sound like any other rock band (I can't imagine fans of 'classic rock' liking this album). Therefore, a description of each of the tracks is necessary.
The first track - 'Phantom Utopia Of Suicidal Star Warriors' (21.49) is slow & grinding, based on a single sustained, repetitive & distorted chord which drones away. The mix emphasises this droning chord, & Makoto's lead guitar. Like many AMT tracks, drums are very low & muddy in the mix, and the bass is a distant rumble. Their trademark synth whooshes & splashes are almost non existent on this track (you can occasionally faintly hear them, but they're buried under the barrage of guitar sounds). This kind of mix is why I think tracks like this are better heard when you see AMT in concert (when you can really hear the drums & bass). After a while, this track goes into the inevitable 'freakout' territory, the rhythm breaks down, and there's lots of screeching & droning guitar, before eventually returning to the original grinding riff.
It's an odd track in that, whilst they're clearly playing some form of 'rock' music, the overall effect (due to the relentless one chord drone, muddy production & mixing, & extreme lead guitar sounds) is more like listening to 'noise' music. I know there's some 'noise' / rock crossovers ('noise' aesthetics applied to rock instruments) but I'm not au fait enough with all these microgenres of underground music to know what that particular genre is called ('stoner rock' ? 'doom' ? 'sludge' ? I don't know, & I don't care).
The second track - 'Cosmic Soul Death Disco' (28.42) has a fantastic Led Zeppelin style blues-rock riff which I love. The mix here sounds a lot better & clearer than the first track. The synth is up in the mix, and Makoto's lead guitar sounds sharp & clean. Throughout this track, Makoto's lead playing really lets rip & he sounds incredibly inspired, firing off all the great screeches & wails that we love him for. This track is a great showcase for his lead guitar. The first segment of this track is really tight, and that riff is glorious - I just wanted it to go on forever. At some points, there's some gruff vocals going through effects, & it's a bit like The Butthole Surfers (circa 'Hairway To Steven') when they also started combining Zeppelin / Hendrix style riffs with crazy vocal effects & wild lead guitar. About a third of the way in, the track accelerates in tempo, getting faster & faster. You keep waiting for it to derail & go into 'freakout' territory, but miraculously it doesn't (& all the better for it). The music builds to an incredible speed, but doesn't lose the plot. This track is really good, but again would sound much better in a live situation (with louder drums & bass).
The final track - 'Stargate Of The Hell' (5.00) just sounds like a bad & messy version of the previous track. It's reminiscent of the kind of tracks you used to get at the end of albums, when a band had obviously finished their scheduled tracks, had a little bit of studio time left, and said 'Let's just bash something out'. Thankfully though it's only 5 minutes long.
I don't listen to this c.d often, as there's lots of AMT albums I like a lot more. I love the second track, but the first & third tracks just aren't my cup of tea. Maybe these kind of tracks would sound much better in a live situation. Perhaps at concert level volume you would get the full effect, but on c.d, these tracks come across to my ears as just sludgy noise.
Music is ultimately about personal taste though. AMT can play in a very wide diversity of styles, & how much you like any of their releases depends on how much you appreciate each of those particular styles.
If you're a fan of that grinding 'noise' / rock crossover (whatever the hell that genre is called) you'll probably like this c.d a lot more than I did.
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