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Velvet Acid Christ
Wound

Metropolis Records

Posted: Friday, October 27, 2006
By: Nate Rand

Some things never change, and among those things is Velvet Acid Christ. One would think that after years in the scene as a fairly promising dark industrial act, VAC would move beyond their obvious Skinny Puppy worship and produce something truly groundbreaking and exciting. One would be wrong. It appears that VAC is more than happy to keep putting out the same album. Does that make this single "bad?" Not necessarily, but it certainly does nothing to further the artist's reputation. If you have heard VAC before, you know exactly what to expect from this release: more machine-garbled vocals, depressive atmosphere, and trip-hop leanings. There have certainly been much worse releases this year, but there have been so many superior albums pressed by lesser known artists that Wound becomes little more than a derivative afterthought.

Overall, Wound is a solid, well produced, and competent release, but there is absolutely nothing special about it. The songs and remixes are pleasant diversions, but one would be hard-pressed to remember them after the disc has finished spinning. Wound really only serves to please VAC diehards. Anyone else would be well advised to take a chance on something else that will, in all likelihood, prove to be far more satisfying. Wound resembles a landscape painting: familiar, aesthetically pleasing, and polished, but ultimately shallow, uninteresting, and entirely forgettable. As such, it can only be recommended to those who do not wish to be challenged, unsettled, or moved.