Published on Apr 29, 1998
Recently, I’ve been getting a lot of industrial and electric
rock to review. I don’t know if the genre is making a comeback, or
is trying to reassert itself as the ship known as alternative rock
sinks faster than the
Titanic loaded with lead bars. Last week, we looked at one
band, Rorschach Test, who are doing a fine job at making sure that
alternative (and industrial) rock still has a pulse.
A similar effort is being waged by Phoenix-based Nihil, whose
debut album
Drown was just released. And though it’s harder to get into
(as well as through) than other albums in the same vein, it ends up
being a rather enjoyable work – as long as you’re willing to invest
the effort into it.
The brainchild of Scott Crowley (vocals/guitars/programming),
Nihil’s lineup also includes keyboardist Vanessa Urso and bass
guitarist Tony Richey. Together, these three produce a kind of
industrial/electronic music that often reminds me of Front 242, if
not nearly as danceable – but it does take time for the whole
mixture to get boiling.
It’s not that songs like “Under Me” or “Nowhere To Hide” aren’t
good, they just don’t suck you into the whole Nihil experience like
I would have expected them to. On several occasions, I found that I
had become distracted from the songs, and had to start the disc
over again – the first few songs shouldn’t create that kind of a
response with the listener. (I can’t explain how this could have
been improved – it’s kind of a thing that you know when you hear
it.) And I will freely admit that “Hear Me” – both versions – are
quite good.
The tide starts to turn for the better with the two-minute
“snippet” “God”, which segues into “Shift”. About this time,
Drown really takes off as an album and turns it into an
experience. Cuts like “Should Die,” “Tear,” “Trust” and “Echo” show
the power that this band has. It is creepy at times, intense at
others, but for a good portion of
Drown, it rarely lets up.
The only drawback to
Drown, besides the slow start? I don’t think you can deny
that Nihil – just like may industrial/electronic groups, for that
matter – is an acquired taste. The first time you hear Crowley’s
vocal intensity, it might throw you for a loop, and you might not
want to continue checking the disc out. It’s worth getting your
feet wet with this one and giving it a chance to grow on you – on
repeated listens, Nihil proves themselves to be quite talented
musicians.
Drown reminds me of learning how to swim: it splashes about
madly in the beginning before it finds its groove and settles into
a comfortable, approachable patterm. For a first effort, not bad at
all – and I have no doubts that future releases will be strong
efforts from cover to cover.