Shizuo
Shizuo vs Shizor
(Grand Royal / Digital Hardcore)
This is the third of three Digital Hardcore releases on the domestic Grand Royal label. Oddly enough, it's probably the strangest also. Whereas Atari Teenage Riot and Ec8or had a definite sound, this one man wrecking crew flies through several different sounds on this full length release. Instead of attacking with harsh vocals and anti-conformist and government statements, Shizuo instead attacks with a slice and dice assault of sound.
His first track "Sweat" moves along with a slowed-down breakbeat and almost sounds like twitched-out hip-hop. There are little horn bursts and huge bombs of bass that give the track a funky, but hard edged groove. His very next number "Punks" is sort of a speed-thrash lo-fi ode of sorts. Several times, the sequencer sounds like it either jams or is just plain screwed-up as the same riff bursts out over and over again. Carl Crack of ATR actually does some vocals on one track, but besides a couple others, this album relies much more on wacked out sounds to make a point. It's definitley not like the other two releases thus far on the label. Besides, weren't you getting sick of all the yelling anyway?
Rating: 6.75
