Published on Jun 20, 1997
And now for the continuing adventures of vocalist Taime Downe.
When we last left our hero way back in January, I had pretty much
raked him and his former band Faster Pussycat across the coals. He
had disappeared into the annals of history, and one thought we may
have heard the last of him.
Fast forward to about six weeks ago, when an unannounced package
arrived from Downe’s new band, The Newlydeads. Their self-titled
debut album moved away from the glam-metal that made Downe infamous
and put him into a musical setting he admitted in the bio he felt
more comfortable with – industrial.
To be honest, I really did not look forward to listening to this
disc. But, what the hell, in the name of science…
Sure enough, Downe’s style
is better suited for the electronic world of distortion
we’ve come to know and love courtesy of groups like Nine Inch
Nails, Ministry and KMFDM. While Downe and bandmate Kyle K. are no
Trent Reznor, they do a damn fine job creating their own voice.
The first sign of promise comes on the second track, “In
Denial.” Downe’s voice has lost little of the sneer he had with
Faster Pussycat, but this new musical form seems to free him from
the shackles of cock-rock. Sure, some of the lyrics are a bit
benign, but I’m willing to cut Downe a little slack in the name of
crafting a good song.
And, for the most part, The Newlydeads do an excellent job.
“Skin Tight Skin” is quite danceable, while “Free Weapons” is the
standout on the disc (and, in my opinion, is way too short). I even
find “Prick” to be humorous, even though the song seems to talk
about the angst of an outcast. I could be wrong here – industrial
is sometimes a very difficult form of music to decipher meaning
from.
The surprise gem on
The Newlydeads is a cover of Siouxie And The Banshees’
“Cities In Dust,” complete with the vocal from Siouxie Sioux
herself (I can’t tell if it’s a new vocal or dubbed from the
original single, though).
But as with almost any new band, there are a few potholes on
this one. I don’t know if it was necessary to include two versions
of “Melting” on this disc, and the opening track “Submission” is
not the easiest song to get into. The one big mistake the band
makes is the uncredited bonus track, an industrial version of
“Silent Night” –
big mistake, for I don’t find it to be a good version (never
mind the religious overtones) and a waste of time.
Still, for a first effort, Downe has been able to convince me
that he does have something worthwhile to say in the music world.
If The Newlydeads can continue to toughen up and tighten up their
act (and they probably will, seeing the band has just expanded to a
five-piece), they may just give Nine Inch Nails a run for their
money.