This is the eleventh studio album from Franz Treichler's iconoclastic Swiss trio of vocals, samplers and drums. After 20 years the band are as adventurous and innovative as ever even if the end result isn't always too pleasant to listen to. The messages on the lyrics are overtly political and have something worthwhile to say but the music is predominantly harsh, reflecting the themes of fear and violence in society. The obscure cover artwork includes in the middle what resembles a gun, highlighting the growing world problem of weapon spread (not to mention land mines) into urban life for millions of people.
The Young Gods have drawn praise from artists as diverse as Bono, Bowie and Nine Inch Nails and they certainly deliver the goods on this album which packs in just about everything from rock, hip-hop, blues, trance, electronica and grunge. At their best when singing in French as the English is heavily accented, the only other irritation is the rather garage-level drum production in places.
Synths and samplers are the primary building blocks of the music with incisive lyrics and driving percussion. The opening anarchic blast of "I'm the drug" is followed by the equally high tempo "Freeze" before the funky "C'est quoi c'est ca" tones things down slightly.
"About Time" has a Lou Reed quality to it while "Stay with us" is one of the more melodic songs with its psychedelic feel. "Machine Arriere" is delivered more or less a cappella through voice synthesiser. The highlight though is probably the title track, an 11 minute mixture which starts like something from Daniel Lanois and develops into an extended vocal repetition of the track title while various electronic sounds assault the ears.
The Industrial backdrop to the schizoid "Secret" is a counterpoint to the following song, "Everythere", which wouldn't be amiss on an Arctic Monkeys album. The album is completed with a touch of the blues on the ambient "Un point c'est tout".
Not for the faint hearted but if you like your music without boundaries and labels and don't go "aaarggh" if invited to a rave, then this will keep you interested.
Track Listing
1. I'm the drug
2. Freeze
3. C'est quoi c'est ca
4. El Magnifico
5. Stay with us
6. About time
7. Machine Arriere
8. The Color Code
9. Super ready/Fragmente
10. Secret
11. Everythere
12. Un point c'est tout
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