KEVORKIAN DEATH CYCLE - Dark Skies
Songs: 10  Time:  48:25
Dark Skies is the first true full length by Kevorkian Death Cycle.  Previously, KDC had released Collection of Injection, a conglomeration of the best pieces that had constructed up until 1997, on the now defunct RSA DVA records.  Now signed to Metropolis, KDC released Dark Skies in late 1998.  Since Dark Skies is an actual album, all of the tracks are more cohesive and they seem to flow much easier.  Intervention is a weirded-out intro track that features robotic voices, fluctuating synth sounds, and a background siren sound.  After that, Static kicks in with mild, untreated vocals, a brash sequence pattern, technofied beats, and analogue sounding synths.  Prisoner slowly builds to a crescendo of angry vocals, metallic guitar chords, well-orchestrated sequences, and crisp rhythms.  Swallow was immediately my favorite piece.  A dark, yet bubbly rhythm gives way to fast-paced / addictive vocals, standard EMB beats, low-key guitars, and squeaky synths.  This track, like many others, contains some interesting breaks that separate the chorus from the rest of the song.  Some of these breaks may include samples, twisted beat patterns, and peculiar synth sounds.  Babylon is one of a pair of tracks produced by Hate Dept.'s Siebold.  Babylon is a slower piece driven by it's rolling beats and atmospheric sequences.  The vocals on this track are pushed back further into the mix, making them barely audible in places, yet distinct enough to know that they are there. Tempest is yet another slower piece.  This track's main components are its light piano progressions, smooth vocals, and ebbing sequences.  Next up, Lifter takes you on a journey through angst and aggression via the rough vocals and jagged guitars.  Surprisingly enough, these two frenzied elements are juxtaposed against slower beats in some portions of the track.  Dark Skies is an album full of layer upon layer of interesting sounds, rhythms, and beats.  Everytime you listen to it, you'll discover something new that you didn't notice before.  Also note that even though there are two guitarists, you'd be hard pressed to hear their presence unless you really strained.  The guitars are mixed into the pieces so professionally and they don't stand out as they do in most bands that utilize them as a primary instrument.  I highly recommend Dark Skies to anyone, especially to those who may not have been overly impressed with KDC's foray into the electro scene.  This is a rich album full of highly addictive and usually danceable tracks.
     
METROPOLIS RECORDS                     Kevorkian Death Cycle is:
P.O. Box 54307                                            Ryan Gribbin / Roger Jarvis / Brett Cardimone / Travers Bell / Ryan Daily
Philadelphia, PA 19105                              Contact KDC @
e-mail: metropol@voicenet.com               e-mail: info@deathcycle.com
METROPOLIS homepage:                       KDC homepage:
 http://www.metropolis-records.com        http://www.deathcycle.com