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REVIEWS
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The Future
Glass
Stranger
CyberChrist
Blue and Grey
TotenPlatz
Completely Operational
The Metronome
Interface
The Wind
They All Have It Now
The Future (Reprise)
Strangelove (Bonus Track)
Amplified Burn (Bonus Track)
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REVIEWS
Apraxia
Trite Permission
Posted: Wednesday, April 09, 2008
By: Amy Mauk
Flash Animator / Motion Graphics Slave
By: Amy Mauk
Flash Animator / Motion Graphics Slave
This retrospective may be a blessed convenience for fans, but new listeners may find that some songs have not aged well.
The newest release from Apraxia is a retrospective of their work from 1999 to 2006. Most of the programming has stood the test of time, and the songs generally avoid painful repetition, even if the first few could use a bit of re-mastering. Sadly, many of the songs fall short in the category of lyrics, which are frequently preachy and dramatic, giving listeners a window into a past when people took themselves a bit too seriously.
The album's first track, "The Future" begins strong, but eventually degenerates into the predictable "guy overdramatically talking at you" template that's been beaten into the ground by The Crüxshadows. The lyrics of "The Future" are distractingly preachy, turning an otherwise good song into a sort of industrial "Rhythm Nation." This happens again on "Glass," and it's even more heartbreaking. In order to get to the incredibly catchy and danceable chorus, listeners have to slog through lyrics like "we'll see if God makes a sin out of pride." That may have worked nine years ago, but lyrics about politics, bleak futures, and Jesus should now be written with great caution, as we've all been getting browbeaten with those things for years. The seemingly obligatory Jesus song "CyberChrist" has moments of brilliance in the form of sexy female vocals, sweep pads, and strong drum hits, but Apraxia again shoot themselves in the foot with lyrics like, "I want to be more than alive, more than survive." Listeners will want to dance to it, but they won't respect themselves in the morning.
"Stranger" sounds like a Rosetta Stone song from 1997, but in a good way. It's unapologetically danceable, and a textbook example of how to make the most of an insane quantity of reverb. Another high point of the album is "TotenPlatz," whose delightfully unpredictable drums and convincingly delivered German lyrics cry out for a floor full of dancing rivet gals. It's like a bouncy, German version of Process-era Skinny Puppy, and the craziness looks good on Apraxia. Hopefully, Apraxia's future work will sound more like "TotenPlatz" and less like "The Future."
The album's first track, "The Future" begins strong, but eventually degenerates into the predictable "guy overdramatically talking at you" template that's been beaten into the ground by The Crüxshadows. The lyrics of "The Future" are distractingly preachy, turning an otherwise good song into a sort of industrial "Rhythm Nation." This happens again on "Glass," and it's even more heartbreaking. In order to get to the incredibly catchy and danceable chorus, listeners have to slog through lyrics like "we'll see if God makes a sin out of pride." That may have worked nine years ago, but lyrics about politics, bleak futures, and Jesus should now be written with great caution, as we've all been getting browbeaten with those things for years. The seemingly obligatory Jesus song "CyberChrist" has moments of brilliance in the form of sexy female vocals, sweep pads, and strong drum hits, but Apraxia again shoot themselves in the foot with lyrics like, "I want to be more than alive, more than survive." Listeners will want to dance to it, but they won't respect themselves in the morning.
"Stranger" sounds like a Rosetta Stone song from 1997, but in a good way. It's unapologetically danceable, and a textbook example of how to make the most of an insane quantity of reverb. Another high point of the album is "TotenPlatz," whose delightfully unpredictable drums and convincingly delivered German lyrics cry out for a floor full of dancing rivet gals. It's like a bouncy, German version of Process-era Skinny Puppy, and the craziness looks good on Apraxia. Hopefully, Apraxia's future work will sound more like "TotenPlatz" and less like "The Future."
