Strictly Discs

Reviews:

Welcome, my friends, to the land where time stands still. The music industry may be in a state of chaotic flux, but the Crystal Method continues down the yellowed brick road of modern-rock-informed breakbeat dance music like it's still 1997. When the Los Angeles-based duo released their debut LP, Vegas, and dropped tracks like the big-beat anthem "Busy Child," the US music industry was desperate for a homegrown version of the Chemical Brothers. That search has long been abandoned, but that hardly seems to affect Method-men Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan, who continue to make the sort of aggro rhythm tracks they always have.

So if you were foolishly hoping that the Crystal Method would magically transform into serious artists on their third album, you're in for a little bit of disappointment. The breakout track here, "Born Too Slow," does build up a mighty head of steam, thanks to guest contributions from former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland and Kyuss screamer John Garcia. And yes, snobs will find the formula of breaks, grimy basslines, and soul-mama vocals (supplied occasionally by the Bell-Rays' Lisa Kekaula) excruciatingly shallow and one-dimensional. Yet even though the party tracks that make up most of the album have a limited application outside of your average extreme sports event or club night, Kirkland and Jordan sound at peace with their lot in life.

"Welcome, my friends, to the land where time stands still. The music industry may be in a state of chaotic flux, but the Crystal Method continues down the yellowed brick road of modern-rock-informed breakbeat dance music like it's still 1997. When the Los Angeles-based duo released their debut LP, Vegas, and dropped tracks like the big-beat anthem ""Busy Child,"" the US music industry was desperate for a homegrown version of the Chemical Brothers. That search has long been abandoned, but that hardly seems to affect Method-men Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan, who continue to make the sort of aggro rhythm tracks they always have.

So if you were foolishly hoping that the Crystal Method would magically transform into serious artists on their third album, you're in for a little bit of disappointment. The breakout track here, ""Born Too Slow,"" does build up a mighty head of steam, thanks to guest contributions from former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland and Kyuss screamer John Garcia. And yes, snobs will find the formula of breaks, grimy basslines, and soul-mama vocals (supplied occasionally by the Bell-Rays' Lisa Kekaula) excruciatingly shallow and one-dimensional. Yet even though the party tracks that make up most of the album have a limited application outside of your average extreme sports event or club night, Kirkland and Jordan sound at peace with their lot in life.

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