Artist: Pin-Up Went Down
Album: 342
Release Year: 2010
Genre: Avant-Garde Metal
Country: France
1. Diapositive
2. Escargot
3. Porcelain Hours
4. Essence of I
5. Khabod of my Aba
6. Home
7. Vaginaal Nathrakh
8. Pictures to Speak To
9. Murphy in the Sky with Daemons
10. Paralogical Sarabanda
11. Aquarium
PUWD's debut album '2Unlimited' was one of my first experiences with the avant-garde metal scene. It was, and is still, one of the few releases in the genre that I've enjoyed. The only other bands that come to mind are UneXpect and Diablo Swing Orchestra, both of whom present their own distinct blend of craziness. Since '2Unlimited' however, I heard very little from the band. Then sometime in the summer I began hearing about PUWD's sophomore release. Reviews slowly trickled out giving the notion that the album was something fresh and innovative (something the Avant-garde scene has been needing since their debut). Other than DSO's 'Sing-Along Songs for the Damned and Delirious', 2009 had nothing to offer me from the genre. Nearing the end of summer, I was still waiting for a download link of this album to surface (the album was released in June, but no links were available until the end of July).
After moving across the country, situating myself and getting comfortable, I finally managed to listen to the album eight months after it's release. My thoughts: Worth the wait. It is by no means, a 'perfect' album. However, with that being said, it is beyond exceptional. Progressive harmonies come together nicely with Asphodel's distinctive voice. The opening track, 'Diapositive', presents a sample of almost everything to expect from the album. The only time I was displeased with the vocals on the album were when Alexis Damien provided his growls to the music. His clean vocals are really nice, but are only used once throughout the entire album, and only for a couple seconds. Instrumentally though, he cleans up nicely, and provides perfect compositions to test out Asphodel's vocal range. Just as with their debut album, she is the star of this two-piece effort. Her vocals are extremely unique and give a true sense of theatrics to the album. In fact, I don't think it would be a stretch to say her vocals are reminiscent of UneXpect and maybe more so, Midas Fall.
My only other gripe with this album, is the lack of 'catchiness' to the album. That might not necessarily be a bad thing when it comes to Avant-garde metal, but songs like 'Pussy Worship' and 'Only Some Shitty Chemical Stuff' presented harmonies that just got stuck in your head for days. There's none of that with this album. It's more of a technically impressive album than melodious. That's not to say that there are no songs that stick in your head. 'Vaginaal Nathrakh', 'Escargot', and 'Khabod of my Aba' definitely come to mind as memorable melodies and vocals.
Despite the minor flaws with the album, it still manages to reignite my love for the genre, and while I'm sure it'll be a little while until my next avant-garde fix is satisfied, I'm sure this will be an album that I listen to several times during the wait. Avant-garde metal remains a very scarce genre when it comes to quality so it's bands like PUWD that keep it in the back of people's minds as a worthwhile genre to explore.
