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 The Treatment |Music Ration Entertainment, 2007|  1. F*** You, 2. I Waste You, 3. Metropolis, 4. Smart Bomb, 5. Tombstone, 6. Who is Who, 7. Corporate Freak, 8. Countdown, 9. Die For You, 10. Metropolis (Bounte Remix), 11. Need Seattle has become a strong source of industrial rock in the last few years, and SMP (which stands for "Sounds of Mass Production") is one of the prime contributors to this scene. SMP is fronted by Jason Bazinet, who has collaborated, performed and remixed some of the biggest bands in the genre including 16volt and Chemlab. Those influences are reflected well on SMP’s 2007 album "The Treatment". This is a record that gets better with each play through, and should be listened to very loud. Overall this is a very well produced album, with credit going to Christ Analogue’s Wade Alin for creating a consistently full sound throughout the record. The sonic quality of the instruments and mix is well balanced and sharp, creating beats and riffs that jump out and assault the ears of the listener. This is especially apparent on tracks such as "Countdown", where the drums and synths create grooves that are a delight to the ears. I literally couldn’t stop my head from bouncing to that hooky riff. One of the best tracks on the album is "I Waste You". Here is an example of a perfectly executed Industrial Rock track. Machine-like guitars drive the rhythm along perfectly, while Bazinet’s vocals create a melodic gloss to the chorus. This is a wonderfully produced track, and to me represents the best of what the Treatment has to offer. Another standout track for me that has found itself being played repeatedly on my iTunes (and in my head) is "Tombstone". This track reminds me in a way of White Zombie or similar bands – The guitar riff is huge and groovy, while the chorus is hooky as hell. This is the type of track I could see driving huge crowds into a frenzy. My only complaint with this album is the vocals on the tracks "Metropolis" and "Need" (and obviously the included remix of "Metropolis" by Bounte). I personally have a hard time with the hip-hop style delivery of the vocals. This isn’t because they are necessarily bad, just that I prefer the sound of Bazinet’s vocals when he is singing out full and strong. To my ears, the rap/rock vocals simply don’t hold up to the stronger, more melodic delivery on the other tracks. This is a minor criticism though, and I’m sure there are many people out there that will dig this kind of vocal direction. SMP has been producing albums since 1995 and "The Treatment" is an excellent addition to their catalogue. In fact I would say that it is the best and most polished SMP record to date. Once Bazinet returns from his current drumming duties with 16Volt and Chemlab, I look forward to seeing where he takes SMP on the next album. No doubt it will be another heavy, solid record like The Treatment. (James Chapple, 06/21/2010. Must not be used for promotional or commercial purposes. See a Legal Note for the copyrights below) |
Published by Draconina
Updated on 01/30/2011 18:51
3989 Reads [The number of reads drops with every database update]
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