Did you ever find yourself saying "I love Blaster
the Rocket Boy, but they're just not weird enough"?
Welcome, my friend, to the bizarre world of Voice
of the Mysterons. The voice of Voice of the Mysterons
is immediately recognizable as former Blaster throat
Daniel Petersen, AKA Otto Bot, now known as Otto NoBot.
Punk fans, rejoice! Otto has relocated to the UK and
put together the monstrous mutant known as Voice of
the Mysterons, and though the listen is a challenge,
great is our reward!
Ah, but what does Voice of the Mysterons sound like,
you ask? Put the Dead Kennedys, Jeff Suffering, C.
S. Lewis and early Blenderhead in a blender and whip
to a froth. Add surreal time shifts and a liberal
dose of alien monstrosities and you have the recipe
for the band's debut "They Have Pull Down Deep
Heaven On Their Heads - Or - Come Hell Or High Voltage:
An Electromagnetic Rapture-Rock Shock-Apocalypse in
Dramatic Dialogue With Damned Abaddon's Lost Lads
and Lasses." Try saying that three times fast.
Go ahead. I'll wait. Did you give up the first time
through? Me too. Long album and song titles aside,
Voice of the Mysterons has made an impressive debut.
I don't want to reference Blaster the Rocket Boy
too many times, but if you enjoyed Blaster's more
psychotic moments then Voice of the Mysterons is just
what you've been craving. Tracks like "Electrocutesy
Vs The Shocking Alternative (A Love Song for the Youth
of Today)" could have been a maniacal outtake
from Blaster's "The Monster That Ate Jesus"
that was just too bizarre to be included on that record.
Pummeling guitar and drums collide with a sweeping
bassline to form a foundation for NoBot's distinct
vocal attack. The result is a racing post-hardcore,
sci-fi, apocalyptic wall of sound. I love it.
Lyrically, Voice of the Mysterons is what we've come
to expect from Otto, but better. All the sci-fi and
horror motifs that made the vocalist's previous band
so much fun are back, but greatly improved. The lyrics
on "They Have Pulled Down Deep Heaven..."
are challenging. References to the Bible and C. S.
Lewis continue to abound. Just listen to "You
Don't Understand My 25-Year Transmogrification"
and you're sure to find that this is indeed the album
many of us have been waiting for.
Voice of the Mysterons is an unparalleled treat.
Possibly because no one else sounds like them. This
post-hardcore nightmare vision couples harsh, shifting
rhythms with melody, thought, and originality. "They
Have Pulled Down Deep Heaven..." is familiar,
yet shocking, like an old friend gone mad. I am left
dazed and wanting more.
Key Tracks: "The Ants of God are Queer Fish
(And Now Walk Gently Through The Fire)", "Daylight
Monsters: A Faerie Shocker - Or - Speaking of Spectral
Centaurs from Alpha Centauri...Heads Up! Hoofs of
Wrath!", Each song is really a distinct treat
unto itself.
Reviewed by Jim McDonald |
