Courtney Love. A true celebrity, a true mess, a true triumph, a true talent, a true woman, a true fuck-up. And she finally pulled it together, through legal woes and various other strange instances, enough to put out an album. And it's decent. Even though Linda Perry (Pink's newest, and the current vogue songwriter-collaborator) is on board for the majority of the tracks, this does nothing to dissolve the idea that Courtney can't get an album out without some big help (think the Kurt rumors, remember the Billy Corgan stuff). IT does appear that Courtney's got all the lyric credits, which is good, because the lyrics are strong. And laid over almost every single bit of the tracks, which is one of Courtney's self-admitted faults (cf: SPIN during the Celebrity Skin era). But one of Courtney's greatest achivements has been repetition of phrases that stick and gain more meaning through repetition, and that's very prevalent on America's Sweetheart, the most self-gluttonous and vulnerable Christmas brag letter ever sent to Hollywood. First things first. Courtney's voice has gone to the dogs in many of the songs (the intro to "Life Despite God" is particularly painful, not raw, not bluesy, just, bad) on her new album, and her enunciation and nasal delivery suffers thus, especially when she tries to sound sweet-n-little, sexy, or Stevie-Nicks-ish. But she's still got power, most notably on tracks like "Mono" and "I'll Do Anything," and her writing prowess shines through on songs like "But Julian, I'm a Little Older than You" and "Hello." Basically, like Courtney, this record is full of good bits and bad bits, it's angry, it's vulnerable, and things have aged since you last saw her product. There's some throwaway bits, like the strangely grating "Sunset Strip," the silly (banal) jam "Zeplin Song," and the oddly sweet "Uncool," which was written with Elton John collaborator Bernie Taupin, of all people. "Zeplin Song," though, is something Avril Lavigne might come up with in 30 years, and I'm glad Courtney beat her to the punch. Speaking of that, Courtney jumps genres so much on this album that when she finally screams something you're glad to be jarred back into the familiar. If you want to invest in something that will rock and roll you, in that dirty, marred armed, vulnerable and messy hair way ("I'm tired of all the pleasure/My company's so cheap"), you've got your album right here. It's even got Soul Asylum, Clash, and Ramones shout-outs. It's hella better than Celebrity Skin and not as good as Live Through This, but a long way from Pretty On the Inside. Face it, most people are buying this album out of curiousity, and it's worth that. There's still witches and posies and matches and pretty dresses to remember your youth with. But I felt strangely old, mean, and downtrodden when, after listening to America's Sweetheart, I reached for my Yeah Yeah Yeah's CD. Even though I'll always love Courtney, she's gotta put something more epic out that this to keep my attention. [www.courtneylove.com]

Leona Naess has gone back to the basics, and that’s a good thing! Her self-titled third album is a stripped down collection of orchestrated folk songs that differs from her more pop-friendly second album I Tried to Rock You, but You Only Roll. Since we love comparisons, if Leona Naess’ second album sounds like Sheryl Crow, her third album sounds more like Aimee Mann. A major force behind this sound must be her producer Ethan Johns. Not only does he play the pedal steel, 12-string guitar, and dulcimer on this album, but he also produced works by Ryan Adams and Rufus Wainwright. Let’s take the comparisons a step further. Leona Naess’ first three albums mimic Ryan Adam’s first six albums (when will he slow down?) in that their debut albums are both filled with soft lyric-driven ballads. Leona Naess’ second album closely resembles a blending of Rock N’ Roll and Gold while the album currently being reviewed can be compared to Mr. Adams’ Love is Hell series. But fear not, the pop standards are not forgotten. Listen for “Calling,” “He’s Gone,” and “Home” on your local grassroots radio station. [www.leonanaess.com]

As of late, there seem to be a lot of straight-edge, hardcore bands covered on this site. And that's good, because I like hardcore, to a certain extent. Pretty soon though, a lot of it runs together and distinctions are hard to pinpoint. Far From Breaking really isn't a bad band. The Texan quintet plays in the same vein as Chain of Strength and/or a million other bands. But actually, as far as hardcore goes, they're not bad in the least bit. But like so many of their contemporaries, they're incredibly typical. The Identity is a very generic showcase of straight-edge hardcore. Fast and hard, unoriginal lyrics, unoriginal musicianship, but then again, when have hardcore kids really cared? The band is far from being garbage, but also happen to be far from breaking any boundaries, too. [www.youngblood-records.com]

On The Rise is another New York hardcore band focused on a positive message - raised on Gorilla Biscuits, Warzone, Sick of it All, Agnostic Front, et al. Nevertheless, I found a surprisingly level of enjoyment out of Burning Inside. Roger Miret (of Agnostic Front) happened to turn the knobs for this album, by the way. Anyway, the NYC hardcore scene lives on through On The Rise, and the band probably makes the scene proud. Fast, tight rhythm section, hard guitar work (sometimes surprising, but not very heavy), shouted vocals, sweet gang vox, and hints of melody throughout. The album definitely has an old school sound, and stays true to the roots of what was originally known as "hardcore". It's nice to see the Bridge Nine Records is still managing to put out quality records when other top hardcore labels have ventured off into signing crappy pop-punk bands. Does Victory Records ring a bell? [www.bridge9.com]

If you've heard Street Dogs, you may have recognized the voice of Mike McColgan---he formerly did vocal duties for the Dropkick Murphys before leaving the band to pursue a career as a Boston firefighter. Though his previous band might always be his more famous work, I think Street Dogs is a much better band. Savin Hill serves up a batch of 15 oi!-influenced pop punk, definitely comparable to the Dropkick Murphys, but not derivative. The band spices up the mix with some rockabilly, rock & roll, and pop influences as well, and plenty of gang vocals and drinking anthems. The guitar work is also surprising; guitarist Rob Guidotti is a definite step above the average "punk" guitarist. Notable tracks include "Cut Down on the 12th", "When it Ends", "Justifiable Fisticuffs" and a cover of Sham 69's "Borstal Breakout", but the album doesn't really slack at any point. Savin Hill won't boost Street Dogs to any spot on a record chart or on television, but it will secure them a place in respectable, solid, modern day punk rock. If you like the Dropkick Murphys, or hell, maybe even the Business, this is something for you to look into. [www.crosscheckrecords.com]

Most albums can be absorbed and classified in at least two rotations. Not Songs Made From Plastic by Mon Electric Bijou. The first spin catches you off guard. The second spin makes you think. And the third spin forces you to reconsider the opinions you formulated during the second spin. So, my review will be either completely right on or completely off target depending on what day your listening to this album. Essentially, Songs Made From Plastic is a dialogue between the guitarist and the drummer. A dominant guitar line serves as the backbone for most songs. Backbone Pixies style, not Jimi Hendrix style. Martin Saz (aka. Mon Electric Bijou) carefully uses lyrics to punctuate the alternative drums and guitar sound of Songs Made From Plastic not supplement it. “Cold Blooded Killer” is a prime example of how Mon Electric Bijou evokes imagery through sounds not words. The songs ambient introduction foreshadows the furious electricity that eventually erupts signaling the appearance of the “Cold Blooded Killer.” Just like a Jaws attack. On the other hand, “Vietnam’s Cashews” borrows a page from the Mick Jagger/Keith Jagger bible. Martin Saz claims he is influenced by Lou Reed, Bashung, and The Kinks. But it is their darker sides he admires the most. This is an ambitious and aggressive debut for Mon Electric Bijou. Just like this review, I’m not sure I completely understand it. But my interest is piqued, and I will, therefore, continue to listen and understand. [www.monelectricbijou.com]

Why are you reading this review? It's Rage Against The Machine and it's their final shows; what more do you need to know? Go buy this album! BUT, just in case you need a little more convincing, here is a little more info. With Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, Rage Against the Machine have released what they hope will be the last piece of music the band is remembered for. Over the course of two nights in Los Angeles Rage recorded a multitude of songs, the best of which they mixed down, and have released on this record and an accompanying DVD. All the great songs are here, from "Bullet In the Head" and "People of the Sun", to "Kick Out the Jams" and "Testify" and everything in between. The band made sure all the classics were covered, and the more I listen to the disc, the more I wish I had somehow been at these shows. What about the sound quality you ask? Well, when you hire Rick Rubin to produce a live album, take two nights to record it, and then spend several months mixing it all, you get nothing but the best. All the instruments as well as the vocals are very distinct in the mix, the bass lines are nice and thick, and every one of Tom Morello's guitar solos sounds studio perfect. I have never been a huge fan of the live album, simply because the sound quality usually isn't all that great and the songs generally don't sound different enough from the studio version to warrant listening to a live disc. However, when Rage Against the Machine announced they were breaking up, I can remember being really pissed off that I didn't make it to one of the shows on their last tour. With Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, Rage has attempted to give their fans the next best thing to actually being at one of these shows. I can't see any self-respecting fan of the band not supporting this final effort from undoubtedly one of the greatest bands of our generation. [www.ratm.com]

Introducing one of the recent crop of Welsh musicians to start making a splash, songstress Jem (Griffiths). You might recognize the name since she co-wrote “Nothing Fails” from Madonna’s last disc (or…maybe not). At any rate, she is about to release her own debut CD Finally Woken on March 23, 2004. In the meantime, Jem has put out It All Starts Here... as a five track EP to give us a little taste of what she has to offer. Jem’s song's, mainly involving low-tempo dance beats, are pretty easy to swallow. The sound reminds me of Dido but with a little more oomph and the melodies are catchy...so catchy, I’ve had one of the songs stuck in my head for the last week. Though you could be happy just bobbing along to the music, it’s worth it to take a listen to the lyrics too. Maybe I’m just getting cynical in my old age, but the line “Who made up all the rules? We follow them like fools. Believe them to be true. Don’t care to think them through” kinda made me smile. Sort of bouncy cynicism on the other side of wisdom, and I can get with that. Still, it’s hardly challenging. In what I assume is an attempt to show that Jem is more than just a hook and a catchy beat, the last track on the EP is an acoustic version of “Flying High.” Now, having never heard the non-acoustic version, I can’t fully judge, but I can tell you that I found it to be a huge buzz-kill at the end of what had been a very pleasant little collection. The lyrics could have been the most happy go lucky stuff in the world, but it sounded like a dirge, and I quickly eject the CD after track 4. Really, I’m hoping that they won’t feel the need to put any acoustic tracks on the full length offering. I’m interested enough to check out the full album when it makes its way to my local record shop, but I doubt I’ll notice if it doesn’t. [www.jem-music.net]

Already media and fan darlings in the UK, Detroit’s The Von Bondies are ready to show the Yanks what all the fuss is about. The foursome is currently touring in support of what I think is an early front-runner for Album of the Year. Pawn Shoppe Heart is everything good about rock’n’roll: It’s raw, it’s powerful, it’s loaded with incredible songs that are practically perfect in every way. Like a lot of young bands that have gained popularity on the Indie scene over the last few years (The Strokes, The Hives, The Vines), The Von Bondies are producing music that harkens back to the days of pure garage rock. There's a little Iggy Pop in there, a little grit, and when the women take over vocals, they sound a bit like Elastica – cool & tight. It's also nice to hear bassist Carrie Smith and guitarist Marcie Bolen rocking as hard as the boys. Drummer Don Blum keeps it all sharp, and Jason Sollsteimer with his smoky voice and clean guitar completes the package. Sollsteimer, (frontman, songwriter & guitarist for the group) has said that except for only a few new tracks, most of the songs on the album are ones that they had been performing and perfecting live for over a year, but does it matter? From the opening chords of "No Regrets" it’s clear that this is gonna be a great record. The first single "C'mon C'mon" is catchy as hell without being trite, and who can argue with lines like "You're not that social, you're just a good drinker"? The only song that falls a little short for me is “Poison Ivy,” and it just doesn’t seem to have the same fire, mostly just ending up power pop that sounds a little weaker than the rest of the super-strong songs. All in all, it’s hard for me to find anything negative to say about Pawn Shoppe Heart. The Von Bondies have a great pure sound, a lot of energy, and raw talent. My only complaint is that they aren’t coming to my town! Check out the "Cmon Cmon" video to give the band a shot: Windows Media | Quicktime [www.vonbondies.com]

Whether you know it or not, 95% of you have heard a song from The Crystal Method at some point in your life. You may have heard one of their earlier albums or one of their remixes in a club one night, but it is more likely that you heard one of their songs playing during a commercial advertising some silly product on TV. The band has made a name for themselves by writing catchy dance tunes that sound just as good hawking major brand products as they do keeping ravers up all night in the dance clubs. With their latest release, Legion of Boom, The Crystal Method strive to reach in a new direction while still maintaining their thick electronic beats and relaxed recording style that has come to define the band. The Crystal Method's last release, Tweekend, seemed to be a step towards something new for the band. While their major label debut, Vegas, was a classic electronic album, Tweekend consisted of the same great electronic beats and hooks but added guest spots from the likes of Scott Weiland and Tom Morello to create more of a rock feel. While Legion of Boom also has its share of guests, including Wes Borland, John Garcia (formerly of Kyuss), and Rahzel (The Roots), it just doesn't come across as strong as the band's previous releases. The guest vocals seem weak, the guitar parts by Wes Borland fail to impress, and even the duo's beats seem to be disjointed. The problem with electronic music has always been that without careful attention, an entire record of songs can start to become repetitive and fail to keep the listener interested. For an electronic band to move from being a band that makes great dance singles to a band that makes great albums, they have to somehow differentiate their songs so that they all sound different yet all have a hook to pull the listener in. From their past albums, it seemed that The Crystal Methdod was well on their way to becoming this kind of band. However, with Tweekend, they same to have taken a step back and the result is a rather generic sounding electronic album. It isn't that Legion of Boom is bad; it just isn't all that good. [www.thecrystalmethod.com]

The lifestyle known as straight edge seems to have two main sides in hardcore. One being the straight edge kids who worship and live their life with X's on their hearts, and then the other side - those kids who used to claim the "XXX" and "broke edge", and a lot of those people are disrespected by the scene because of that decision. Anyway, Stand and Fight is another straight edge pride band that features Wrench of Ten Yard Fight fame on vocals and members of Carry On. This release has six new songs and also includes the six-song demo from their days under the moniker Impact. The sound, in short, is generic hardcore in the vein of traditional hardcore - such as Ten Yard Fight - and definitely explores no new ground. Not that it's a bad thing, this is quality hardcore. But it's a record made for hardcore kids, by hardcore kids. [www.thestraightedge.com]

The punk-rock scene in Southern California wouldn't be what it is today without The Descendents. They've left their mark, most notably on Blink-182 and Sublime. Though the band hasn't released any new material since 1996's Everything Sucks, the band hasn't lost their touch. 'Merican is simply an appetizer for the upcoming full-length, Cool to Be You, slated for release in March. The EP flies by at 15 minutes, but every track is worthy of The Descendents label, especially "Nothing With You" and the title track. This band will always stay true to their pop-punk form, and they don't sacrifice any of their integrity. If you like anything you've ever heard by The Descendents, this is worth owning. It's cheap, anyway. And if you don't get it now, don't worry, because this band will probably still be making music with dentures and broken hips. [www.descendentsonline.com]

When you think of music originating in Portland, Oregon, what comes to mind? M. Ward? Chutes Too Narrow? Everclear perhaps? So do I. Well, I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House defies expectations. I hope the band’s name didn’t mislead you. The lyrics, “I plan to spend the apocalypse drunk and passed out on the floor…that’s why I do the things I do – I live so god-damned hard” in the first track of Put Here to Bleed pretty much sets the tone for the entire album. No playful indie-pop here. Rather Put Here to Bleed is rebel rousing, bar-brawling, government hating, southern rock. And it’s not very good. By southern rock I mean dirty vocals, double-time rhythm guitar, heavy guitar leads, and ferocious harp wailing. In fact, “In The Mud” is a Southern tale about a “granddaddy” born in Oklahoma and a “daddy” from Kentucky complete with banjos and a washboard to sell the drama. If you ever find yourself stranded in a Southern biker bar with drunk patrons who just discovered President Bush banned tattoos and chewing tobacco, this is the CD to play. Keep it in your glove compartment just in case. The lyrics are, however, mildly entertaining. The question, “if you can’t eat it or fuck it well lord than how can it exist” is posed in the song “Hayward, CA ’76.” While I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House asks, “Enron and Dick Cheney would you please use vasoline when you bust my tail?” in the song “Things That Fail.” But my favorite lyric might just be “cause I’m a rockstar, I’m a rockstar, watch me go taking my grammy home.” Not Likely. [www.icanlickanysob.com]

I guess they’re letting anyone with a pretty voice and a guitar record an album now. Or it’s getting too easy to make and market an album on your own. Case in point: Steven R. Brooks’ musical debut Like The Moon. Like The Moon aspires to be Badly Drawn Boy’s Hour of the Bewilderbeast but somewhere in the studio production creativity and/or resources were lost. Rather, Steven R. Brooks has created an album of acoustic guitar lullabies suitable for children. Songs are simple. Lyrics are clean. Themes are cute. Songs are simple you say? Every track mimics the James Taylor/Cat Stevens finger picking guitar style. No structural surprises here. Lyrics are clean you say? No swear words. No graphic sexual allusions. Utopian imagery: “I’d build us a bench / where we could sit and watch the birds fly by / when we grow old.” Better yet: “Showers fall on the field from sky to ground / such beautiful green such beautiful sound / wildflowers blooming like sunrise watching them grow / it’s a beautiful feeling a beautiful show.” Themes are cute you say? With songs about sunflowers, sun bathing dogs and skyscrapers adults need not fear the unexpected “costume malfunction.” Like The Moon is as clean as Jessica Simpson before she married Nick Lachey. So, if you want to introduce your children to the overwhelming world of the happy-go-lucky guitar picking singer-songwriter, Steven R. Brooks is your man. [www.stevenrbrooks.com]

Sampling dialogue from a Matrix movie and putting it into a techno song is like cutting words from a comic book and pasting them into a Mad Libs book, only the Mad-Libs book is the same page repeated over and over and over and over… As a proud owner of the Animatrix DVD, I didn’t realize that so few of these songs have enough personality to stand alone without the overwhelming visual accompaniment. With the exception of Juno Reactor, I couldn’t make it more than two minutes into any of these songs without skipping to the next. I don’t have anything against techno, but mind-numbing, amateur techno riding under the guise of The Matrix’s financially driven bandwagon really doesn’t interest me as much as I thought it might. [www.intothematrix.com]

Starsailor have made a very safe album. Fairly melodic, tightly produced, and well-written, but safe. It sounds very similar to their previous, Love is Here; no matter what type of music genre you are into, one would be hard-pressed to deny the comfy, dreamy, quality of their work. Except if you get easily annoyed by a singer who sounds constantly warbly and possibly on the verge of tears at any moment. Starsailor have a fairly recognizable sound consisting of melodic, fuzzy guitars, and rich, often lush production quality; however, variety would be welcome within Silence is Easy to keep the listener’s attention. “Music Was Saved” opens the album with a sparky, high-tempo ditty that is unlike the dreamy, often somber mood the songs are in. Following is the dramatic stacatto of “Fidelity”. The rest of the tracks follow with a slower, dream-like quality with the same themes of love, life and despair, lyrics border on trite (“I've grown to see the philosophy of my own mistrust/ We all have our faults, mine come in waves that you turn to rust/ Some of us laugh, some of us cry/Some of us smoke, some of us lie/ But it's all just the way that we cope with our lives”). “Bring My Love” is a standout track mostly because a smartly added lushness of an orchestra, which is a welcome change from the near monotony. Silence Is Easy is a safe album because the only haters would be those with an aversion to all rock music in general. The major fault is perhaps a little too much of the same thing. Stairsailor can write a song and pick the right producer to pretty-it-up (Phil Spector has the honor on some of the tracks), but can be tiresome those who want more than background music. [www.starsailor.com]

I will admit I was guilty of disliking the Distillers before I had even really heard them. Here was this Brody Armstrong, child-bride of Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, who seemed to be riding his coattails and stole Courtney Love’s voice along the way. Then she was all over the place sucking face with Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme and then (conveniently) released an album through all this. Hmmmm… I am rarely wrong, but this time I had misjudged Brody (now Dalle) and The Distillers. Who is to say why her album got such promotion? The bottom line is: it is worth listening to and the Distillers have carved out a place for themselves. Coral Fang is way more than a punk album. Punk influences and guitar hooks are a-plenty, but the album contains (gasp!) some great melodic rock hooks (the chorus of “Dismantle Me”) and even some great harmonies, once Brody drops the I-swallowed-razor-baldes method of singing - she can carry a tune, and showcases it well (ie. “Coral Fang). The music is fast, never dull, and rips by before you even realize you have sat through the whole thing. It is angry without being grotesque, and hauntingly beautiful. Overall, this is one of the greatest rock albums released this year, and I hope that The Distillers get credit for being The Distillers, and not because Brody is on every magazine’s special “Women in Rock” issue. I’m sorry, Brody, for misjudging your awesomeness. [www.thedistillers.com]

The climax of both Showbiz and Origins of Symmetry occurs somewhere around or before the third track; this impetuous zenith is followed by nine or so tracks of slumberous, sloppy rock and is what I call musical "premature ejaculation." Without a doubt, the majority of the studio focus, as can be seen in both the song development and production, is in these first few tracks. The remaining songs are good, but so overshadowed by the rousing intros that they might as well be cut to EP length. Instead of frontloading their third album, Absolution, Muse has evenly-spread those beautiful piano melodies and those insanely addictive vocals throughout each and every song. The result is that it doesn’t have such an immediate kick (fans will complain), but rather a swelling, satiating flow. It’s intentionally dramatic vocals, fairly narrative lyrics, and the mix of badass guitar riffs with classical piano makes it sound like a modern-rock opera, but that isn’t what I really want to talk about. What I really want to say about this album is this: it’s incredible. In fact, it’s so incredible that the CD format doesn’t do it justice; I want Muse to be in my room playing this album whenever I want them to. Goddamn it, CD’s aren't loud enough, clean enough, or sonically dense (equalization-wise) enough to make this album sound how I want it to sound. I want to cover my walls in speakers and hook each one up to a single instrument recorded impeccably with audio technology fifty years down the line. It may not have the most brilliant lyrics, the most revolutionary style, or the most complicated instrumentation, but this album is the reason I listen to music. [www.muse.mu]

If you would rather not read about my tape trading gripes, please skip to the last paragraph now! Back when I used to have hobbies, I would collect things. As I got older my football card collection slowly gave way to concert tapes. Most of my boxes of Maxell XL II S cassette tapes consisted of Phish and Grateful Dead concerts, but I had a few Bob Marley shows as well. The best thing about a Bob Marley concert is that you can fit an entire show onto one 100 minute tape without using filler. Although, Phish and The Grateful Dead shows usually came at the expense of two tapes, both sides of each tape would run into each other with continuous music. Recording a couple songs on a whole disc and leaving the rest blank is a major faux pas in the scientific but frugal tape trading industry. With the advent of the compact disc comes a new way of listening to music, but the idea of music sharing is still the same. If you have the space, fill it! Live at the Roxy aggrevates this pet peeve. The second disc contains only the encore. Yes, the encore is 28 minutes in length with a “Get Up Stand Up -> No More Trouble -> War” medley that epitomizes live Bob Marley with its fair share of “repeat after me” Rastafarian interludes, but 45 plus minutes is still unaccounted for. However, the first disc is full of quintessential Bob Marley. By quintessential, I mean the songs sound exactly how you would expect them to sound. Which begs the larger question: what’s the point of a live CD? The point of Live at the Roxy is to convey the live Bob Marley experience in an intimate setting. The Roxy sounds like a private party more than anything else. If I was in attendance, I could probably hear my own scream. The verdict: If you love Bob Marley, buy this disc. Bob sounds fresh, the guitar solos are crisp and you can feel the Rasta “thumps” reverberating off the walls. In fact, the music almost makes you sad that you missed this live experience. If you like Bob Marley and already own a couple of his discs, there is no need to purchase Live at the Roxy. Bob doesn’t alter his songs much, he just stretches them out. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stretch the encore out long enough. If you don’t like Bob Marley, I’ll pray for your soul. [www.bobmarley.com]

There is an equation in music that deals with the inverse relationship of concept and listenability. If the concept on an album is truly innovative, then any difficulty in listening is negligible because the music experiments in areas that don’t have established guidelines or techniques to use as framework. If the album has no creative conceptuality in sound or lyrics it had better have tight production and listener accessibility, because it’s building on something that has already been done before. So… I always thought Mike Patton to be a mastermind of experimental audio. Whether it is the swing/jazz/rock/Japanese-chanting Mister Bungle album, California, or the first Fantomas record, Amenaza al Mundo (the most metalest of metal albums using beat-box in place of lyrics), I thought Mike Patton could get away with just about anything… until now. A single catastrophic decision spoils the entirety of the record. That decision: to make the album one seventy-four minute song (fifty-five minutes of content followed by nineteen minutes of vinyl static followed by a “one, two, three, four” count). Had Delirium Cordia been genuinely inventive in some way, as I mentioned earlier, the unfathomably annoying choice of making the entire CD one track would be inconsequential, a worthy sacrifice for the sake of experimentation. However, the album is twenty-four distinct tracks (I counted) sometimes with pauses in between, sometimes having other signifying elements telling the listener that a new song has started. Why make a single-track album that doesn’t flow as a single song? Cutting an album into multiple tracks isn’t an obstruction that confines artistic intent; it is a convenience for listeners and nothing more. Denying that simple convenience without a solid, innovative reason is both unnecessary and demeaning. Additionally, I feel that this album is a step back for Fantomas, having very little full band effort. The “quieter side of Fantomas,” as Patton labeled it, apparently means substituting real instrumentation with artistically inane sampling and stretching a decent twenty-five minute album into fifty-five minutes of repetitious, irritating noise (as opposed to good noise). Fantomas is still one of my favorite bands of all time (nothing can tarnish the beauty of their two previous releases), but I wouldn’t recommend this album to anyone at all. [www.ipecac.com]