Chicago’s demented Ted gets a facelift. With programming assistance by Acumen’s Jamie Duffy, Beyond now sounds like Skrew, Fear Factory, and reheated Pantera.
Even with the machine parts and oil drums, the raw sound sources of Neubauten, the CD-ROM inside, and the hoarse, strained vocals, Babyland isn’t very good.
This one-liner/fragment approach broaches all the right subjects: Women’s rights (good), government (bad), modern society (sucks). Once in a while, it clicks.
From the rock-steady beats to the more prominent ska-core, Mephiskepheles commandeered the crowd. Meph earned an encore, which is tough as an opening band.