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REVIEWS
The Spanking Machine
Now Lie In It
Posted: Tuesday, March 28, 2006
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor
By: Ilker Yucel
Editor
Sweet, seductive, and spanking its way into your sonic erogenous zones, EBM never sounded quite this sexy.
Donned in vinyl/PVC/leather, chains and makeup, and sporting an image that could make Lords of Acid look like Mother Theresa, The Spanking Machine lure the listener into a tantalizing world of fetishistic sexual abandon. Of course, with a name like The Spanking Machine, it's not terribly difficult to figure out the thematic concepts behind the band's music: sex, bondage, and S&M. Mix that with some hard hitting, ultra distorted industrial/EBM and some beautifully angelic vocals, and you would have the sound of the band,s latest offering, Now Lie In It. This may sound like an unoriginal combination, especially with bands like Lords of Acid and The Genitorturers in the limelight. However, The Spanking Machine actually focus just as much on their production and songwriting as they do on their image; a quality that makes Now Lie In It just as enjoyable for the average goth or rivethead as it would be for the perverts and connoisseurs of extreme sexual practices.
Part of what makes the music on Now Lie In It such a treat for the ears are the vocals, delivered by Mistress Victoria Kalimata. While not quite as operatic as somebody like Sarah Jezebel Diva (of Cradle of Filth), she has a great command of her voice, seducing the listener with her breathy erotic tones. She never goes over the top and never relies on the obligatory industrial screams and distortion. This is a virtue since the music is already so distorted that any more would probably kill any chance of the listener being entertained. This is not to say the music is annoying; far from it. With Lord Spanky on guitars and programming, Kiki on bass, and Tromm Ler on the percussion (and, boy, is there a lot of it), every track pulsates with infectious beats that will keep people dancing, but enough mayhem on the guitars and the crunchy synthesizers to please the industrial crowd. The structures of the songs are also of interest, going beyond the simplistic verse-chorus-verse formulas. Songs like "Konstruct" and the title track begin softly with some electro glitches before the pummeling beat comes in with Victoria's vocals soaring up and down like fireworks. Other songs like "Favorite Slave" and "Game" follow suit, upping the ante on the bondage front, while "Immaculate Phallusy" slows things down just a bit with its steady dirge-like beat and subdued energy. The band's use of samples shows a humorous side as well; from Amadeus to sex-ed documentaries, every sample only accentuates the band's perverted message ("Interlude I" provides quite a laugh with its use of a Patrick Stewart sample from his guest spot on The Simpsons).
Obviously, The Spanking Machine's music will not appeal to everybody. Indeed, the overt sexuality and extremity of the music may put many casual listeners off. Besides that, it does become difficult to pick any standout track. This can be forgiven, though, since the album works as a whole. The tracks are distinguishable from each other, and they all have a fair share of good songwriting with electronic mastery. The production is excellent, distorting things just enough to give that slight sense of industrial discomfort, but allowing the vocals to lure the listener into a false safety. Before you know it, you're listening to an angel sing to you while also realizing that she's flogging you (staying true to their moniker). Now Lie In It makes for a great album for a multitude of occasions. It works as club dance floor filler. It works as background music for hedonistic sexual encounters. It works as a soundtrack to sexually charged romantic interludes with your loved one. Listen to Now Lie In It and get spanked by the machine.
Part of what makes the music on Now Lie In It such a treat for the ears are the vocals, delivered by Mistress Victoria Kalimata. While not quite as operatic as somebody like Sarah Jezebel Diva (of Cradle of Filth), she has a great command of her voice, seducing the listener with her breathy erotic tones. She never goes over the top and never relies on the obligatory industrial screams and distortion. This is a virtue since the music is already so distorted that any more would probably kill any chance of the listener being entertained. This is not to say the music is annoying; far from it. With Lord Spanky on guitars and programming, Kiki on bass, and Tromm Ler on the percussion (and, boy, is there a lot of it), every track pulsates with infectious beats that will keep people dancing, but enough mayhem on the guitars and the crunchy synthesizers to please the industrial crowd. The structures of the songs are also of interest, going beyond the simplistic verse-chorus-verse formulas. Songs like "Konstruct" and the title track begin softly with some electro glitches before the pummeling beat comes in with Victoria's vocals soaring up and down like fireworks. Other songs like "Favorite Slave" and "Game" follow suit, upping the ante on the bondage front, while "Immaculate Phallusy" slows things down just a bit with its steady dirge-like beat and subdued energy. The band's use of samples shows a humorous side as well; from Amadeus to sex-ed documentaries, every sample only accentuates the band's perverted message ("Interlude I" provides quite a laugh with its use of a Patrick Stewart sample from his guest spot on The Simpsons).
Obviously, The Spanking Machine's music will not appeal to everybody. Indeed, the overt sexuality and extremity of the music may put many casual listeners off. Besides that, it does become difficult to pick any standout track. This can be forgiven, though, since the album works as a whole. The tracks are distinguishable from each other, and they all have a fair share of good songwriting with electronic mastery. The production is excellent, distorting things just enough to give that slight sense of industrial discomfort, but allowing the vocals to lure the listener into a false safety. Before you know it, you're listening to an angel sing to you while also realizing that she's flogging you (staying true to their moniker). Now Lie In It makes for a great album for a multitude of occasions. It works as club dance floor filler. It works as background music for hedonistic sexual encounters. It works as a soundtrack to sexually charged romantic interludes with your loved one. Listen to Now Lie In It and get spanked by the machine.
