Mechanical Organic - Flat Earth Society

Year of Release: 2006
Label: independent
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 76:57:00

The band name Mechanical Organic evokes thoughts of a certain kind of music - that you won't find on Flat Earth Society. Instead we have a gentle piece of music defined by soft multi-part vocals and a mix of guitars and bass with synth-driven electronica. On reflection the "mechanical" part is the electronica, with an industrial vibe, yet the choruses keep it very "organically" real - so perhaps the name was well chosen.

The sound is dominated by the vocals, which are very old-school - yet it's refreshingly relaxed, lightweight, and quite fun. There are almost no instrumental bridges, no solo vocals, and few of the structures we're used to in today's progressive music - yet it's interesting, and worth a listen.

There's a lot of blazingly-fast guitar work played pushed far back in the mix. Perhaps it should have been brought out more often and allowed to play in the sun in the form of traditional guitar solos. It's wasted as it is. Some sections, like the end of "The Bitter Truth," allow the guitar to be heard quite clearly - but it still doesn't come across as well as it could. The rest of the music has a slow, deliberate tempo, and there's a dark undertone to most tracks which will have some comparing it loosely with doom metal. But it isn't doom metal. In fact it's interesting that this CD has been adopted by the metal crowd - and that the band themselves call it a blend of hard metal with industrial and progressive elements. There isn't much metal here, and it's a bit proggy - but then, there's no other category for this music either.

Much of Flat Earth Society sounds like the chorus of a 1970s Canterbury/progressive song - a pleasantly different sound, but it goes on for the considerable length of the record. At 77 minutes, I would have hoped for more variety. The 10-minute closing track "This They Must Never Know" is very different though, and features about seven and a half minutes of spoken prose in a mechanical voice-box kind of delivery with an Aussie accent. In a deliberate monotone it recites the plans and methods of a super-race that controls the common man - obviously one-part new-world-order styled sci-fi and one part cynical commentary on the control today's super-powerful wield over the plebians.

Before committing their music to final mastering, artists ought to try a little exercise I use when evaluating a CD. Using an old fashioned record-player analogy - "drop the needle" in the middle of each song - one after the other - and see if they all sound the same (This is most easily accomplished if you play the record as MP3s on a computer).

Mech Org - as they call themselves - is a three piece Australian band, and this CD was self-financed. With better production, clearer separation of sounds and more variety in the mix, it has potential to be great. As it is, it's a bit samey but it definitely deserves your support. It's different, and in the genres of music we cover on these hallowed pages, different is good. I'll be watching out for for Mech Org's next CD.

Tracklisting:
What Have We Become / Stealth / Hacking Humanity / Nothing Is Real / Username and Password / All According To Plan / To Bridge The Void / Weapons Of Mass Distraction / Nostalgia / The Bitter Truth / This They Must Never Know

Musicians:
Eddie Katz - vocals, bass, keyboards
Connie D - synth and lead guitar
Laurence Belviso - drums and percussion

Discography:
Flat Earth Society (2006)

Genre: Electronic

Origin AU

Added: July 13th 2006
Reviewer: Duncan N Glenday
Score:
Artist website: www.mechanicalorganic.com
Hits: 1794
Language: english