The AntiKaroshi. *Sigh* Let me first start by saying that this style isn’t my cup of tea. I honestly can say that I cannot name one Indie band that I like. I find that this experimental genre to be taken in directions that rarely do any good. Indie stands for the unconventional, as does all metal, but carries a different attitude, an attitude that I personally have a distaste for. An attitude of trying so hard to be unique, the message is lost in translation and even the band cannot remember their own cause. If you were to follow my definition, then Crushed Neocons would be no exception.

Crushed Neocons have four distinct styles that are experimented with, obviously the most dominant being Indie, accompanied by an interesting or “unconventional” blend of rock, techno. I must say I admire this bold display. I found the punky vocals on the other hand, to throw things off kilter, ruining the rhythm and feel. It didn’t flow with the rest of the songs, and the words just stumbled on itself, melting into nothing and losing meaning.

However, before the vocals are belted, I can hear potential. I sense a very lovely jazz influence, along with the Indie, in the first song “Downtown,” as the bass is strum beautifully, the drums are beaten to its own melody, and the guitar is plucked to perfection. If I were to throw in a metronome, it would be followed to a tee. Even with the songs featuring techno/electronica, the constancy is prevalent and definitely one of their greatest strengths.

Although Crushed Neocons has a forgiving melody about it, that does not redeem the album in its entirety. The vocals make the music sound chunky and sloppy, and takes away from the overall feel of the album. This album was meant to represent the unconventional, but the reality is something a little different. The AntiKaroshi have managed to say away from mainstream music, but have hindered themselves by making this their main priority.

Ehh…

Similar Artists: Slint, Killdozer, Tar

1. Downtown
2. Fistful
3. Pes
4. Sound Advce
5. Contradiction
6. Cruiserwait
7. Baskerville
8. Thin Line
9. Prsndcns (Remix by Monosylabikk)

Thea – Guitar, vocals, keys
Ntick – Bass, keys
Aroshi – Drums

Exile On Mainstream Records

http://www.myspace.com/theantikaroshi

- Dalia

Oi vey…alright, I think I have reached my capacity. I have received umpteen million stoner and post metal albums (alright, maybe far less than that), and despite the overall positive quality of the releases, consisting of massive amounts of innovation, I think the market is beginning to become saturated. What began with the whirlwind known as Mastodon and Isis, has brought many a great band to the forefront of the metal scene and even in the mainstream in some cases. I have loved this change of pace within the scene, especially in contrast to the deathcore revelry going on next door. Still, despite my apprehension in overloading myself in a short period of time on massive stoner albums, I have to give credit where credit is due. La Fin Du Monde, the “not so” post metallers from California, have created a snazzy lil’ morsel known as Monolith, and it is, yet again, a stoner album of extraordinary magnitude.

What I dislike about Isis, is the very thing that makes La Fin Du Monde so great. La Fin Du Monde aren’t pretentious, and are most definitely not tedious. Every song on Monolith, while instrumental, provides ample variation with a jazz-like quality that eliminates the sense of drone that has become a hallmark of Isis’ music. Interestingly enough, despite having less heaviness than Isis (in terms of the way the guitars are tuned), I’d say La Fin Du Monde are still more metal. Why? I’m not sure, they just have that broad stroke that brings more oomph than the meanderers known as Isis; a more epic feel if you will. The “metalness” of this band is irrelevant really, but since I am a sucker for metal, the qualities that seemingly make La Fin Du Monde more metallic than many of their post-metal cohorts, sets them to a higher standard.

Despite my crass attitude to a sound that is quickly catching up to its boiling point, I am still happy to have discovered La Fin Du Monde.

VERY GOOD

Similar Artists: Mastodon, Isis, A Storm of Light

1. These Babies Are Edible
2. Dismal Tide
3. They Will Never See Us
4. Beast IV
5. We Will Fall

Adam Scarborough – Guitar
Chris Roberts – Guitar
Dan Elsen – Drums
Josh Kinsey – Bass
Mike Crew – Bass

Self Released

http://www.myspace.com/lafindumondeband

Review by CODY