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SMP
The Treatment

Music Ration Entertainment

Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007
By: Matthew Johnson
Assistant Editor

Industrial/rap hybrids exist on two ends of a spectrum. On one hand, you have Linkin Park, with the admittedly competent rhymes of MC Mike Shinoda rendered worthless by whining emo choruses and mainstream radio pandering. On the opposite end, there is Sounds of Mass Production's Jason Bazinet, coldwave veteran and perhaps the only artist to make a complete integration of hip-hop's streetwise edge and industrial rock's futuristic pessimism. Exhibit A is "Metropolis," a cyberpunk ode to pimps and pushers that subverts the brand and namedropping trend in current hip-hop with science fiction references ranging from Judge Dredd comics to the Firefly TV series. If there's a problem with the song, it's that its laidback pace belies some of its aggressive impact, but Chicago producer Bounte fixes that right up with a bonus remix with harder beats, choppier vocals, and jarring glitches. Even heavier is "Tombstone," a snarling political tirade that beefs up the heavy hip-hop grooves and cynical rhyme-spitting with jagged guitars. There's a lot more to The Treatment than rap crossover though, even if that is SMP's main claim to fame. Even without the rap elements, there's more than enough to keep industrial purists happy, not to mention guest appearances from Christ Analogue's Wade Alin, Slave Unit's Mike Welch, and Doll Factory's Chris Roy. "I Waste You" bursts from gritty snarl to aggressive anthem as the guitars kick in, and "Fuck You" distills musical misanthropy to its bluntest with lyrics like "Fuck you/Fuck your family, too." Subtle it isn't, but it's the best example of coldwave snottiness since vocalist Steven Siebold stopped spitting in people's faces at Hate Dept. shows. There's even a nod to old school punk with a cover of The Adolescents' "Who is Who." In the other direction, "Die for You" is almost melancholy, a cynical look at mass media infatuation set to hard breakbeats and tinkling analog synths. While the rap elements might be SMP's most unique draw (or most difficult selling point, depending on how you look at things), The Treatment proves that Bazinet can rock whatever genre he takes on, from industrial to hip-hop, punk to metal.