 |
 Caught in the Carousel "There will be music despite everything"
|
Sprockets
Medicated Empty
Blynd Pheasant Entertainment
Listening to Sprockets new CD, Medicated Empty, is like visiting an alternate reality where Billy Corgan hooked up with Geddy Lee and Chris Adler to whip up a thick emulsion of goth-metal. Musically, Sprockets sound like the descendents of Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus, Entwine, Papa Roach and Lamb of God. Lyrically, Medicated Empty shares similarities with eight out of ten goth bands. Pain is universal, and Sprockets' lead vocalist, Brodie Knight Vans, wields a sharp pen ("When burning the bridges we walked on for so long/It's a comfort to know your casket's beautiful"). He sounds best when the band cuts loose on songs like "Your Infection" and "Liquid Bullets"—raw, naked soul-pain goes so much better when paired with a hair-raising backbeat. Bassist Dave Schwaller and drummer Dustin Johnson absolutely bring the heat on this CD. Their furious and precise talents elevate the few tracks where Brodie's voice loses inflection. (Listen for the bass riff on "New Years Day" for a taste of that power.) A few tracks falter ("Blue Burns in Butterflies," "Flood Lights"), but several—including "Your Infection" "Hollywood Holidays" "Scarlet Skylines Bleed to Blue" "Nebraska" and "The Sound of Existence"—are solid knuckle-splitters. Medicated Empty was produced by Mike Herrera (MxPx, Tumbledown), and the band's press kit credits him with the development of their new sound. With luck and effort, Sprockets will continue to evolve, transforming frustration into sonic mayhem, and it'll be up to us to collect the rewards.
—Lyn Dunagan
Can we help you find something?