Pink Anvil is the teaming of that nerd Paul Barker and Max Brody. This record is apparently a recorded performance from Austin, Texas during Halloween 2001. I initially purchased it because I was curious to see what Barker could do on his own and am fond of experimental projects, not because I expected or wanted it to sound like Ministry.
If you’re looking for lots of riffs, pounding drums and distorted vocals, look elsewhere. But if you have a decent attention span and enjoy more bizarre/experimental stuff, this album might just be the perfect drugged out psychadelic Halloween spook jam for you.
-
“Beginning” : A mix of wierd Halloweenish noises sets us up for the general bizarre and creepy nature of the album. Sounds like a lost dog howling in the murk of some nightmarish carnival or something…whatever that means. (4/10)
-
“Rubber Suit” : A great track with some cool keyboard playing and more bizarre soundscapery. This one is genuinely evil sounding and very cool. (8/10)
-
“'Cause I Told You So” : More wierd Halloween spooky effects lead into a slow metronome beat and bass. Pretty trippy and relaxing with a sample of some guy talking about hypnotizing you, but then wierd jarring noises sound off and a witch laugh bubbles up from the murk. Pretty chilled out and good as background music, but not as engaging as tracks like “Rubber Suit”. (5/10)
-
“Desert” : Opens up with, well…desert sounds. Wind, flies, etc. This one continues and expands on the strange, drugged out soundscape experience that flows throughout the album for the most part. Some keyboards, bass, and a single percussion sample drive this along. This is another sit-back-and-relax track, and if you’re in the right mood (which probably entails drugs) its highly enjoyable. (7/10)
-
“Adagio in CB” : More bizarre spookiness leads…nowhere. A little keyboard melody and more wierd noises…seems kind of pointless, but still continues in the direction of the album. (3/10)
-
“Downer” : This track brings some needed focus back to ‘Halloween Party’ with a synth line and techno-ish beats. This track is pretty cool with its wierd videogame-ish sound, but the production is a little too distorted and it could have been better executed. (6/10)
-
“Rubber Suite, Pt.2” : A sample about crackheads leads into a ponderous melody that never really goes anywhere. Some more interesting dialogue samples round this track off, but it doesn’t stand out too much overall. (3/10)
-
“Sugarwater” : This track sounds a lot more like Ministry, with a more rock feel, but its buried under way too much distortion for its own good. (5/10)
-
“Unmerry” : This track is definitely the highlight of the album. It surprised the shit out of me when I first heard it, because it’s so beautiful and fragile compared to the ugliness/creepiness of the rest of the album. A really touching melody is juxtaposed with chaotic sound effects and noise. The effect is like some flower struggling to emerge from a mound of decaying machinery. Never heard anything quite like it. (9/10)
-
“Near Death” : This track is another rocker like “Sugarwater”, and is the most Ministry-esque of all, but again it is buried under too much noise. Its a shame, because it could have been a great song. It really pisses me off…don’t know what Barker was thinking to ruin such a good track with pointless over-distortion. (5/10)
-
“Ending” : The return to the raw emotion of “Unmerry” that I was hoping for never happens. Instead, another random jumble of scary noises, feedback, and sound effects closes off the album in the same manner it began. (3/10)
I would recommend this release more to fans of Quintron, which is the only real comparison I can think of. This is really bizarre stuff, and not for the closed-minded or those who listen to Ministry for its heavy metal aspects. If you like creepy, experimental soundscapes with psychadelic undertones, however, then this is the album for you.
OVERALL RATING: 6/10