Dusted Reviews
Artist: Death Unit Album: Infinite Death Label: Important Review date: Feb. 26, 2007 |
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In the world of things X-treme, there are monster truck rallies, and there is Death Unit. Too bad Death Unit isn't advertised on TV, and such a wonder that its fans do not overlap with those of MonsterJam.
Trevor Tremaine (drums), Chris Corsano (also drums), Brian Sullivan (guitar), and Carlos Giffoni (electronics) have been playing free metal live as Death Unit for a couple of years, and Infinite Death is their second recording. This is a sideline for each of them, as Giffoni organizes No Fun Fest, Tremaine and Sullivan play in Hair Police and Mouthus, respectively, and Chris Corsano is Chris Corsano.
"1" begins with crazed double drums that bring to mind Fritz Hauser. Though Death Unit wouldn't really be extreme with just drums, they might be just as good as a band. Nevertheless, Giffoni darts in after a few minutes with twinkling fuzz and some engine-revving no-input mixer; Sullivan enters the mix as the drums gallop. The unstructured mode allows each player to bust in when passion strikes, but also leads to results less than cohesive.
Recorded live, "2" hangs together better. It builds from soothing grumble through shrieks and moans until, well into the mix, Corsano and Tremaine begin to brush their drums. Sullivan lets notes burn slowly in counterpoint to their motion. After things get quiet for a solo, the band busts out in brutal concordance, everyone running on maximum cylinders.
Still, the best recording of a monster truck rally doesn't really match being in the arena. Infinite Death doesn't lack punch as a recording, but the live experience would be more comprehensively intense, more infinitely death.
By Josie Clowney
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View all articles by Josie Clowney