OFF: Rush - Test for Euthanasia

[MartinPopoff]

Hey Johnny,
'Fraid I have to disagree heartily! Here's my review that will show up in
the new book. Plus one review of something I think really has "edge"
Martin


Rush - Test For Echo
(Anthem '96)

Mauve over, Rush has another record ready, Test For Pulse, I mean
<B>Test For Echo<D> reversing the jets on the moderately sparkly
<B>Counterparts<D>
opus, comfortably refitting Rush amongst the has-beens of creativity.
So what we get is somewherez between the band's worst record and fourth
worst, a dreary mess of fragile guitar, bass and doldrums, o'ertop
which Lee deadpans some of Peart's most juvenile and pretentious lyrics
yet, cute and snobbed beyond belief, songs about dog time, Internet
love and the various meanings of <169>driving<170> and the concept
of <169>half<170> mucking forth in compositional collapse, cheap pun
punching metaphor, trite observation chafing cliche. Yeah, Rush
doesn't show off instrumentally anymore, but they make sure arrangements
confuse the pants off their Trek-face fanbase, cramming in boring
riffs and unaggressive rigging in quick succession much like Maiden,
editting nothing like Zappa. But of course there's no real metal.
Anytime Lifeson plays, he's halfways to unplugged, browning-out all
heartless attempts at guitar rock so we can uh, hear the words. Dead
identical to yer <B>Roll The Bones<D> or <B>Presto<D>, Rush surprisingly
and stupidly consistent since '87 in creating smothered, toneless
production values that accomplish the dubious math of making Rush
a power trio of equal sixths: one half the band they once were and
twice the annoyance.

Rating  <B>5

Samael - Passage
(Century Media '96)

Sparkling and alone in the world of orchestral death metal (orchestral
by way of deceptive layered keyboards), Samael have entered a rarified
realm indeed. Brothers Vorph and Xy have fine-tuned their duties,
really for the first time weaving deeply all those chivalrous keyboard
arcings and drum programming (apparently these aren't live drums,
but you'd never know it: the drum parts are convincing and absolutely
stunning) into an aristocratic attack that just might take this band
beyond the likes of Amorphis, Cemetary and Gorefest in providing the
rich cream of extreme metal. Favourites are openers <MI>Rain<D>, <MI>Shining
Kingdom<D> and closer <MI>A Man In Your Head<D>, which whip into a
frosty froth, expert moves from grindcore through traditional NWOBHM
ideas, all slathered with the history-rich moves of Deep Purple. So
what results is a masterpiece that is gothic on at least four levels:
the '70s, the '80s, the '90s and gothic new wave, Samael having no
problem touching each imposing composition with electronics far from
metal, before sending many of these rippers through prog terrain,
always cognizant of elegance and the sturdy rules of song. Not merely
the next tweak in this young band's sound, <B>Passage<D> really marks
a leap beyond the trappings of death into a spacier realm (<MI>Jupiterian
Vibe<D>, <MI>Moonskin<D>, <MI>Born Under Saturn<D>), Samael no doubt
keeping an eye on the dozen or so other creative death metal forces
that have made this shift. An astonishing and stirring pageant of
heavy, heavy music.

Rating  <B>10
Martin Popoff: martinp at inforamp.net
Power Chord Press (Riff Kills Man!)
P.O. Box 65208, 358 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, Ontario M4K 3Z2