Sean Trane
This album is a bit the direct continuation of the preceding Product, with the same participants but in varying degrees of involvement. While the artwork is semi-funny - a bloated crocodile represents the record companies and the "victim" is carrying an alligator skin purse on the back cover. As usual these guys are playing their virtuosic selves away, this time not even worrying whether someone is still listening. One thing is quite shocking though, Collins' simplified drumming is actually stunningly detestable on the track he plays on, and to be truthful Clarke's is not much different (DMZ)
Right from the opening notes of the ultra-funky Noddy Goes To Sweden's jazz-funk, one can feel that this is going to be a difficult task to sit through the album's entirety, Not only is the drumming and rhythmic pattern of Noddy are irritating, but the track is plagued by spoken words in the background. And it gets quickly even worse as the following Act Of Will is a pop tune with vocoderized vocals (not Phil's apparently). Between these two is the aptly-titled Void-arama is a fairly boring piece from Goodsall, a fairly repetitive guitar-dominated tune. The Fragile track is probably the real start of the album as we finally find what makes the group's identity. A long slow track filled with their usual clichés but it's probably as good as BX gets on this side of the vinyl.. Cambodia is a short sweet track that sounds nothing like the country it's named after, but Goodsall's guitar is all over the track. Triumphant Limp is another slow-paced track, where the band is free to jam
This one is not that bad as I make it out to be, but everything they had to say had been said a long time ago. Just another half-baked croissant like Product or Masques, thus making Brand X no better than Brand MO, Brand RTF, Brand WR or Brand EH. But otherwise the redundancy factor is striking making me redundant my reviews. I hate that!!!!