REVIEWS

SMP
Crimes of the Future

Posted: Monday, March 20, 2006
By: Keith Rose

Unfortunately, the track "Beautiful" is wholly representative of SMP's new album, Crimes of the Future, combining bland rock and electronic beats that break with the traditions of both genres to create a light, unfulfilling industrial sound. "Three O'clock" kicks out the jams, yet lacks the originality and attitude that defines industrial music. "Slag" is composed of nothing more than male posturing and violence-induced rambling. The chest-beating track, and the album as a whole, use poorly masked electronic music as a backdrop to feed off the current self-indulgent hip-hop fad. "Bloodstains" is one of the few songs that manage pull off any semblance of truth. Combining rock, electronic, and even a hint of Metallica, the track maintains an edge that is most reminiscent of quick punk music. The precise clicks, bleeps, and chirps of "Food Slot" sound thin and mechanized and fail to provide a cohesive piece of musical art. "24 Hours" showcases a sound that could be worth cultivating if it weren't for the band's merciless use of commercial hip-hop. The music behind "24 Hours" has an '80s mystique laced with a touch of late '90s groove, but fails to deliver any authentic vocals. White boys can't rhyme! "Exit Wound" steals synth sounds from the Basement Jaxx track "Get Me Off," and staying consistent with the album's theme, is unable to produce even a speck of original material. Clean up in the Mariah aisle.