Images of my Underworld Vol.II – Review

Images of my Underworld

(Horror Show)
by Scott Hefflon

Oh, me, oh mine! This is whatta comp is supposed to be! Never heard of the label, never heard of any of the bands, there’re a buncha genres represented here, and each is a damn fine representative of the respective style. And all the bands are from Australia. I mean, who saw this coming? The land down under just reached up, grabbed my balls, and is rockin’ my world! Opening with a disco/industrial blast, 69 Eyes launches into by far the best cover of Blondie’s “Call Me” I’ve ever heard. Whispered, menacing verses, freight train synths, a roaring metal chorus, all produced so over the top, all you can do is blink at how amazing it sounds. Then hit repeat. Then the Voodoo Lovecats throw a hissy fit called “That’s What I Believe.” If you can imagine what Motörhead drumming, Misfit melodies, glam punk snarling voices, and layers of “whoa, whoa”s would sound like mashed together, you got a start on this track. Next up is Dogmachine‘s “Fetish,” a blend of Ministry guitars and ABBA’s “Does Your Mother Know” kitsch gone kink – suspiciously icy ’80s New Wave mixed with snorting guitars and sex appeal. Then Grinspoon play some of the most rumbling bassed-out bar rock I haven’t hated in a good long time. For some reason, the singer reminds me of the fruit from Styx, but he’s chain-smoking, carrying a bat and lookin’ at you funny. And from there, shit starts getting weird. Leaping from that oh-so-scary minimalist Goth wave crap people got into once they had everything by Joy Division and Bauhaus, but had yet to hear Fields of the Nephilim, to dork-fronted candy pop without a wink of self-consciousness, and then introducing yer rapidly fizzling brain to folks who’ve obviously studied their Gary Numan, Pat Benetar, Ramones, and B-52’s, then tried to mix a few of ’em together with a disco beat and distorted guitar – you get the general gist. This is a disc you can throw on, skip about naked to, trash your room to, redecorate your room with multi-colored streamers and lip gloss to, stare into space to, or rock out (with your weenie poking naughtily out the front of your space jams, wagging an attached piece of yarn before your spastic cross-eyed cat) to, all the while wondering why Bonnie Tyler and Iron Maiden never collaborated on a Herbie Handcock cover, remixed by Human League in a shag-carpeted basement. Excuse me, I need to sit down now. And apologize to my cat. Fuckin’ weird. I have no idea where you can find this, but ya ain’t borrowing mine, K?

(PO Box 771 Hamilton Central, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 4007 horrorshowrec@hotmail.com)