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 Phantom Limbs - Applied Ignorance [Alternative Tentacles - 2001]Honestly? At first I thought I wouldn't like it. The production is pretty low-fi: everything sounds muffled (except the keyboard), the guitar is inaudible most of the time, the singer sounds distant... "Not a great first impression" is the least I could say. I was getting ready to write a negative review while thinking about the excellent Fleshies album that I just reviewed and how no label can hit the jackpot every time (both bands are signed to A-T)... And around the third or fourth listen, this album surprised me!It's the quality songwriting and original sound/melodies that saved this album from file 13. The music is mostly keyboard driven, even if burying the guitars was unintentional, and it sounds like some weird carnival-music influenced punk-rock with the demented screams and schizophrenic lyrics of Mr. Hopeless on top (well, coming from a distance because of the production...).The lyrics are as strange as can be, the melody lines are well written and most songs use climax techniques where the intensity is pushed up a notch ("Somebody Twisting Your Arm" is probably my favourite song because of that). Even the production doesn't get in the way of the songs that much after a few listens; sure at first it gives a bad impression, but once you get used to it, it actually fits. The fact that the vocals are somewhat in the background even make the songs more claustrophobic.In conclusion, I'm not sure to who I would recommend this album, the band surely has it's own distinctive sound and I would suggest to go to the band's page and listen to the samples before buying it and give it enough listens to sink in.I also would like to point out that the artwork was made by the singer, who's artist name is Hopeless, and that it's a good visual representation of the sound of the band.  
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|  | | Phantom Limbs - Applied Ignorance | Honestly? At first I thought I wouldn't like it. The production is pretty low-fi: everything sounds muffled (except the keyboard), the guitar is inaudible mo...
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| | | Xiphos - The Rise And Fall Of The... | Xiphos are a three-piece project that creates an atmospheric and epic mix of martial industrial and neo-classical music, focusing on the tales and legends of...
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