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Combichrist
What the F**k is Wrong with You People?

Out of Line Music

Posted: Tuesday, March 20, 2007
By: Matthew Johnson
Assistant Editor

After the massive success of 2005's Everybody Hates You, Combichrist's Andy LaPlegua is back with an even more intense version of his proven formula: lots of hard-hitting beats, choruses that are easy to shout along to, and plenty of foul-mouthed black comedy in the samples and lyrics department. Bet on "F**k that S**t" and "What the F**k is Wrong with You?" to be this year's biggest club smashes, just as "This S**t Will F**k You Up" and "This is My Rifle" have dominated the dance floors for the past 18 months or so. "F**k that S**t" even has a well placed Dennis Hopper sample that'll have you reaching for a nice cold can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Then there's "Give Head if You Got It," which amps up the offensiveness quotient even by Combichrist standards. Though there's no denying that this CD sticks to a proven formula for success, LaPlegua's sound is in fact still evolving for the better. A renewed emphasis on vocals bodes well for the recently expanded Combichrist live presentation; "Deathbed" and "Red" feature an almost hardcore-inspired bellowing, while the comparatively melodic "In the Pit" recalls hints of LaPlegua's more pop-flavored work in Icon of Coil. Mention should also be made of the bonus CD that accompanies the import version of this album, which is probably worth the extra expense to fans. Unlike the import version of Everybody Hates You, which featured an uneven collection of ambient tracks, this album's bonus CD is a continuously mixed set of hard, dark techno in the vein of Combichrist's first album, The Joy of Gunz. Highlights include the electro and acid house homages of "Body: Part" and "HAL 9000" as well as "Shut Up and Bleed," a collaboration with Los Angeles power noise duo W.A.S.T.E. that is just as harsh as you'd expect. "God Warrior," which utilizes samples taken from a Fox network reality show in which a woman suffered a religion-induced nervous breakdown, goes for creepy atmosphere instead of playing it for laughs like the TV show itself, and the result is a surprisingly disturbing but club-friendly piece of terror EBM. In any case, this is another solid LaPlegua release, sure to please all of the troops in the Combichrist Army, and it doesn't take a genius to predict its impending reign over the dance floors. Good luck escaping this one.