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Dimension Zero
Scythe

Liquid Records

Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2007
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

One must grant credit to Dimension Zero and Liquid Records for the packaging of the band's latest record. Arriving in a velvet-lined cardboard box in the shape of a coffin, the CD case features a unique pull-out tray and silvery finish as metallic as the Grim Reaper's scythe. However, excellent packaging is only part of the presentation. As the sole member of Dimension Zero, Phillip Montgomery Singleton does his best to offer the listener as much musical variety that he can within these 10 tracks, beginning with the shrieking synthetic violins and pianos of introductory track, "Sex & Murder." Offset by panning waves of a chainsaw in the tail-end of the track, it sets the mood perfectly for the strangeness yet to ensue. There is much to behold on Scythe</>, particularly in the somewhat schizophrenic nature of Singleton's musical identity; the record's greatest strength and its greatest weakness. Tracks like "Static Space" and "The Era of Voyeurism" are wrought with dismal atmospheres befitting a classic horror film, yet possess that slight bit of whimsy that would put it more in line with The Munsters or The Addams Family. Then you have a song like "Nascentes Morimur" that begins with a slow jazzy rhythm, steadily building up a subtle tension before the pace picks up to evoke a chase scene through a decrepit haunted house (think every episode of Scooby-Do and you'd have the right idea). The same can be said of the spooky organ-like tones of "R.I.P." and even the chugging guitars of "Replica," while "The Haves" is wrought with distorted electronic scrapes and slashes reminiscent of a malfunctioning Nintendo game. Closing the album out is "October," a testament to Singleton's arrangement abilities, beginning with little more than acoustic guitars before an organ comes in during the bridge to bring back the chilling ambience that resonates throughout Scythe. While it's all put together rather well, there's a certain discomfort that lingers as each song goes on its own tangents with little regard for cohesion or flow. Singleton also seems to be attempting to evoke more than a few influences at once, from his faithful yet intriguing adaptation of U2's "God Part II," in which he does his best Bono impression, to his almost forced delivery on "The Haves" where he comes across as a clone of Nitzer Ebb's Douglas McCarthy. While not lacking in singing ability, there are times on Scythe when it seems as if Singleton is attempting to channel the sum of his influences all at once, showing little sign of his own self. In the end, Dimension Zero's Scythe is noteworthy for its experimental spirit and befuddling in its intentions, leaving the listener unsure as to whether to laugh, cry, shudder, or run; difficult to categorize, but also disappointingly difficult to take too seriously.