Nod’s Tacklebox O’ Fun

(Re-Constriction)
by Chris Best

If nothing else, ya gotta love Re-Constriction’s style. Though none of the bands here truly do justice to the songs they cover, it’s not for lack of effort. Usually, comps like this have industrial bands revving up synth tunes that didn’t need to be improved on, whereas here, the bands seem to be having fun. Do we really need a synthcore version of “MMMBop?” I don’t think so. But I like knowing it’s there, and I thank Purr Machine for making it. Waiting For God totally destroy “Ice Ice Baby,” and Alien Faktor remind us that no matter how much venom is already contained in a song, there’s always room for more with their cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.” These covers are not the best things going, but at least the bands are having fun. It’s as if someone took a party compilation and told the bands, “OK, you do this one, you do this, and you do this,” as if it was homework. Oh sure, some bands just don’t try. Trust Obey do a Ministry tune (“Revenge”) and Tin Fed do Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy The Silence.” These are cop-outs to the concept, but fun nonetheless. Other good tracks are Hexedene‘s “Diamond’s Are Forever,” Society Burning‘s “Lovefool,” and Hot Box‘s “Just A Girl.” While not great, the concept is fun and so are the covers. And when an industrial comp can actually be called “fun,” that’s a rarity worth paying attention to.
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