The Ultra Siberian Pant Factory

OmniumgatheruM

Written by: DR on 06/09/2009 19:15:17

With a name as elaborate, flamboyant and well, downright awesome as The Ultra Siberian Pant Factory it's hard not to spare these guys some of your precious time. What it means, I can only guess; and the same goes for the album title and for the slightly Tim Burton-esque artwork. Some may consider it clever and creative, something to get the imagination roaring; while others will find it needlessly excessive. If you belong in the camp of the former, read on.

There is, as the old cliché goes, a fine line between madness and genius, and this band certainly likes to try their hand at walking the line - which is far more than you can say for a lot of bands out there. And that, at least, is commendable. There's a minute and a half long 'interlude' during nine-minute epic "MediaDomockeracy" which wouldn't sound out of place as background music in a 1940s jazz-lounge; it works wonderfully. On the other hand, there's an electronic part during "Rejuvination of Life" which sounds entirely out of place, and in fact reminded me of "Love Will Tear Us Apart".

Technically it's hard not to be impressed. The songs pull you one way before pushing you another, constantly keeping you guessing and therefore not allowing your attention to wander too far, which is required in an album that has just seven songs, and lasts a whopping 44 minutes long! Despite it's pros, it unfortunately does have cons. This album is inconsistent throughout, particularly in the vocal department. When he attempts to sing cleanly, it sounds forced and not at all pleasant; but when he screams in that almost incoherent way, it's oddly intriguing.

There's enough ambition shown not to bore you, but that ambition isn't quite matched with consistent ability for this to be a quality release. It certainly has its ups and its downs, plus it has at least urged me to step out of my comfort zone and seek more music in a similar vein, but I can't imagine it'll be atop my play list in a months time.

7

Download: MediaDomockeracy, Aviators & Afterburners
For the fans of: Tool meets The Mars Volta
Listen: Myspace

Release Date March 2008
Self-released

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