Search - C17h19no3 :: Terra Null

Atmospheric, but not for everyone

Miguel M. Duran | Seattle, WA | 03/27/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I own c17's three releases (the first of which is reissued/remastered here as a second disc) and I readily acknowledge that they're not what one would call accessible. It's not music I'll play every day but a large amount of my collection fits that bill -- other great artists that I enjoy like SWANS, Skinny Puppy, and Arcana share a similar dark vision in that they're all sweeping, epic voices that also happen to really, really bring you down.C17 has been described as cold, which isn't unfair, but there's clearly passion here and I really feel this album ranks as their best. The cover of "I Cover the Waterfront" has a trippy beat that moves with industrial grinding in the background and a vocalist who manages to deliver both sexiness and menace all at once. The trumpet wailing in the background just makes the experience all that more surreal. I've had a number of people ask me about "A Spell for Breaking a Hole in the Sky" when I've mixed it into compilations, largely because it too pairs sultry beats with a strong female vocalist.I acknowledge the 1-star reviewers' statements that this album just didn't work for them but I highly recommend that interested listeners at least give the online music sampler a try or go find grindertool's website which has a fair amount of additional material to test against one's ear. Personally, I think this is majestic stuff to play on a dark drive down the Lost Highway. Highly recommended."