Electrocuted means dead,
The Siegfried SassoonActing as the first real contender to Biffy Clyro's 'most ridiculous band name in music' crown, The Siegfried Sassoon are here with their first proper offering to prove they're more than just a forgettable band with an unforgettable name. Fortunately they manage to do this brilliantly. 'Electrocute means dead' is the first record I've listened to in 2007 that has made me sit the fuck up and start paying attention. It is simply so bloody good.
'Don Bosco' acts as a near-perfect introduction track, utilising jazz-influenced guitar lines layered over some very Maple State-esque synthesizer sounds and frankly awesome chorus harmonies. They've managed to encapsulate exactly what makes a good song great, with the opening riff acting as a centrepiece for the entire three and a half minutes, with the gaps filled in by honest vocals and epic amounts of contrast.
If 'Don Bosco' was great, then 'Hell is Other Robots' is simply outstanding. Its chorus is something that simply needs to be listened to for its appeal to be understood, with heart-on-its-sleeve lyrics, and what is already becoming Siegfried Sassoon's trademark guitar tone adding to the festivities.
Elsewhere, 'Hundred Champions' starts as a much more subtle affair, building to a massive sounding chorus. Clearly designed as a demonstration of the band's song writing capabilities, it is complex without being pretentious, intricate without being delicate, and in places, frankly genre-defying.
There simply is not a bad song on this CD. Every one is a gem in its own right, unique and ambitious, without a hint of sounding boring, generic or rushed. It's the sort of record you know the artists have bled and sweated over, and thankfully, the results are every bit as good as they should be.
Andy R
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