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Wasteful Consumption Patterns
Solder

Intolerance Records

Posted: Friday, February 08, 2008
By: Amy Mauk
Flash Animator / Motion Graphics Slave

Wasteful Consumption Patterns' Solder has moments of brilliance. Unfortunately, when a brilliant beat or sound is concocted, it is repeated until it stops being interesting and starts being a test of endurance. Songs start strong, but wear into endless ruts so deep that listeners are actually thankful when they finally feel any emotion, even if that emotion is irritation. This is best illustrated at the 1:15 mark in "Voice," where listeners are treated to a whine that lasts a full 25 seconds and takes place over fast, thumping drums that cry out for glow sticks and ecstasy.

While bands like Einstürzende Neubauten are fairly clear about favoring the sounds of words themselves rather than traditional melodies, Wasteful Consumption Patterns just come across as a band that is trying to write a melody and just can't manage to be interesting. Lyrics are straight from the "gray would be the color if I had a heart" school, and are sung through omnipresent industrial distortion. When "Memories" starts with a very clear "I have no memories, yet I remember everything!," we wish that DJ Korpserape (not making that up) would save himself the embarrassment by singing in some other language. We are also treated to a seemingly mandatory "random recorded conversation" track… twice.

Wasteful Consumption Patterns try to be deliciously deviant, but their efforts come off feeling dated, repetitive, and ultimately sophomoric.