Foetus - Love (10 tracks) +Album Reviews

One short of six stars

William Pasour | Arlington, VA United States | 03/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jim Thirwell comes back after four years to drop a bombshell on the world. If only more people knew it. It's truly a shame that such lush, inventive, and powerful music is overlooked in the popular culture. Every person I play this for, no matter what their musical preference, recognizes the tremendous skill present on this album. In a way this is the most approachable Foetus album - its melodies and arrangments are inviting, yet the compositions themselves are no less defiantly idiosyncratic than on any previous release.

Right off the bat it's obvious that Thirwell's got new tools at his disposal - a harpsichord for one, along with many other disparate instruments that he combines effortlessly song after song. His production skills seem more honed as well - no longer does each track bluster with noise; whereas on Flow "Cirrhosis of the Heart" was a juxtaposed respite from the intensely brutal tracks that surrounded it, the songs here are more subtly developed, which is probably one of the big reasons why this album feels more approachable. Contrast "Quick Fix" with "(Not Adam)," for example; the first jumps out of the gate and blasts the listener's ears off, and, while some of us enjoy that, "(Not Adam)" lulls the listener in with its portentious opening and excites the listener with its sudden dynamic shifts and shifting layers. When Thirwell begins to sing about killing a woman and disposing of her body, it is over an evolved dance pulse that gets the foot tapping (or the booty shaking), while the dramatically reverbed piano following this section tugs all the heart strings.

This sophistication in arrangement and production is present throughout the album, and several tracks, especially "Miracle" and "Blessed Evening" are beloved even by my friends who listen to the radio. I don't think there's anything less edgy about this album than previous albums. I don't think anyone could say Jim Thirwell sold out with a straight face, considering the incredible quality of this music. I just think that the music is concealed in less noise than before, allowing for the average Jane and Joe to hear what us Foetus fans have heard all along: invigorating, enthralling, amazing music.

To sum up, this is my favorite Foetus album, and I own them all. He's dropped the swing/jazz flavors of Flow and Gash in favor of orchestral flavorings here. Of course, Thirwell draws from sources as far as the ear can hear, creating a tapestry of references and inventions that can be beautiful and punishing at the same time. At any rate, even if you're a fan of everything since OKFM, you haven't heard anything like this.

The title of this review is in reference to a couple small flaws, as I see them. Whereas Nail, the ultimate Foetus album to date, featured a lyrical concept that tied all the songs together, there is no concept that I can discover on Love. Also, Hole and Nail each featured a song that slowly built to a climax ("Sick Man" and "Descent into the Inferno," respectively), and those have always been two of my favorite songs. With each new Foetus release I hope there will be a song along those lines, but have been left wanting thus far. It's a small gripe, especially since, in the absence of these songs, I've gotten so many great ones (especially "Miracle," which I probably like better anyway). So, I would have liked to give this album six stars out of five, but five will have to do. It's still one of my favorite albums of all time."

The Agony of DeFoetus...

Kevin Clapp | LexiKalb, US-of-A | 07/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every consecutive Foetus release only blows me away more... Since Amazon didn't list the tracklist, here it is:

1. (not adam) - sinister, fast-paced, and dramatic. 10/10

2. Mon Agonie Douce - JGT's first french song. interesting and slow (the background whispers are nice 'n creepy) but weaker compared to other tracks on the album. 6/10

3. Aladdin Reverse - wow. it takes a couple listens to get used to, but it floats around quietly for a while only to slam you with a nice sucker-punch of a heavy chorus. 9/10

4. Miracle - you're probably familiar with the Jay Wasco remix of this song from the (Not Adam) EP. I personally love the remix... the album version has a nice orchestral beat-down. A little clunky in the lyrics department with the chorus, but I'll forgive him this time. 9/10

5. Don't Want Me Anymore - I personally love this slower track. 9/10

6. Blessed Evening - an instant classic! dark and evil... 10/10

7. Pareidolia - another slow and floaty track. easily overlooked. 5/10

8. Thrush - the JGT duet with Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields, Lovage), which is both beautiful and unsettling! 8/10

9. Time Marches On - another track remixed from the (Not Adam) EP... but the remix sounds nothing like this song (in a good way). I really love the fast pace, especially with the strings thrown in to make it sound especially epic 10/10

10. How to Vibrate - weird and tortured, reminding me somewhat of Kreibabe from FLOW. quiet at times, noisy at times. ya just can't peg this song down! 10/10"

All you need is LOVE

John Stern | New York ,NY USA | 01/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Amazon and the esteemed reviewers of the Foetus LOVE album have neglected to mention that it comes with a DVD containing 3 videos from LOVE including Blessed Evening directed by Karen O (YeahYeahYeahs) with director of photography Spike Jonze, and (not adam) directed by Jeremy Solterbeck (who also directed videos for Lovage and Handsome Boys Modelling School, among others), with trailers of the J.G. Thirlwell-scored Venture Brothers (currently airing on Adult Swim/Cartoon Network), as well as classic early live footage, a video by Rotoskop and never before seen footage from upcoming J.G. Thirlwell documentary.

And the album is up there with the best Foetus has ever done! It is symphonic,sweeping and shattering!"

Love Foetus!

Thomas G. Dorman | Cape Town, South Africa | 09/12/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Another great album by ol' Jim. Less aggressive, more darker and complex. Somewhat like one of his other projects, Steroid Maximus but with lyrics. If you liked his First, Last and Always Sisters cover, you'll LOVE this! Not as noisy as his earlier stuff, less clangs and bangs. Calling it industrial is seriously limiting its diverse flavour. It's a mix of symphonic samples, pop, punk, a touch of sleazy 60's jazz, and slight industrial undertones with great drumming. Musically a little more serious then most of the previous Foetus albums. I especially love the harpsichord samples.

The only real flaws that I can hear is his singing and lyrics. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of his previous work and I love his voice but I feel he didn't spend enough time on his voice in the studio. Something is missing, maybe overplayed backing vocals. Some of the singing is a bit out of tune at places, maybe done for affect, I'm not sure. Most of his other albums are not lacking in this area.

His lyrics aren't as great as some of his other works either. The lyrics are not as good as Nail or Hole. But better then some of the other albums. But still better then most other bands.

He seems to have spent most of his efforts on the music, which is of his best!

Over all I love the album, it's original, not just a repeat of any of his other albums. It's got a couple of great tunes. Danceable and cheeky. This is NOT a hardcore album. Don't worry, it ain't soppy either. He hasn't gone soft.

If you are looking for hard electro riffs or hardcore industrial metal, look someplace else. If you want something to thrash or mosh to, get some White Zombie or Fear Factory. If your looking for a dance album, something to take E to, go get some EBM. If your looking for great tunes, good lyrics, original category breaking music, something different from the rehashed "two guitar, bass, drums and vocal" recipe then look no further.

Nothing sounds quite like JG Thirlwell. If you haven't heard any of his music before, you might hate it or love it. But you won't forget it. ;-)

"

The album I'd been waiting for my entire life

Kenneth B. Kaczor | 11/14/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"J.G. Thirlwell is known for his creativity and incredibly unique music, and this album does not disappoint. While FLOW was a bit of a departure from JGT's prior albums, which had more industrial/noise influences in them, LOVE goes even farther away from that direction which may be off-putting to some of Thirlwell's long-time fans. Indeed, some may consider this to be his weakest album as there's much less noise in this enchanting and mysterious orchestral adventure.

I, however, am not in that camp, although I also adore his previous work--this is actually the album that sparked my obsession with Foetus. The orchestral flavorings here, mixed in with a bit of drama and Thirlwell's characteristic lyrical angst and psychopathy were something I was looking for in music and never found until that fateful audial collision with (not adam). It's not often you come across music with this amount of variety and creative energy. It's clear that JGT wanted to throw in a little bit of his other projects, Manorexia and Steroid Maximus, into Foetus, and the results are not disappointing. LOVE is Foetus taken a turn for the Manorexia.

How do you describe this album? Haunting, enchanting, mysterious, slightly discomforting (to the sane mind, which doesn't seem to be Foetus's target audience at times) orchestral and dramatic. LOVE reveals Thirlwell's fascination with horror soundtracks--as one person that heard me play from it commented, it's kind of "spooky." Heavy use of the harpischord here, and for all the better. As is typical with a Foetus album, the music is all heavily influenced by many genres and styles, and as a result is as unclassifiable as anything else Thirlwell has produced.

Thirlwell is extremely, extremely talented, and it's a crime that he isn't appreciated on a much larger scale. But such is the fate of someone who remains inventive and takes risks when uninspired and generic sound gets all the airplay, glory and attention. If you're into something new and interesting, look into Thirlwell's work. You might become as obsessed as I have. Keep on truckin', Mr. Thirlwell, your music is worth far more than the modest price of the CD."

Search - Foetus :: Love

CD Details

Similarly Requested CDs

CD Reviews

	Foetus Love Genres: Alternative Rock, International Music, Pop, Rock Track Listings (10) - Disc #1 (Not Adam) Mon Agonie Douce Aladdin Reverse Miracle Don't Want Me Anymore Blessed Evening Pareidolia Thrush Time Marches On How To Vibrate
? Larger Image