There’s something unnerving about writing a review of a record that appears, at face value at least, to be soaked to the core in Nazi symbols, both artistically and lyrically. ‘Love In The Fascist Brothel’ is, musically, an excellent and inventive record that fuses elements of hardcore and jazz to great effect. But there are elements of this CD, released on Revelation earlier this year, which are just plain weird and odd and, at times, are rather discomforting. I’m sure many reviews will throw comparisons to Blood Brothers and The Locust and I suppose I’m not going to disappoint you either, even if neither band particularly nails The Plot..’s sound to a tee. It’s more the dischordant time changes or the switch from the manical to the sweet in a matter of a few bloodthirsty seconds which sees the band change from devillish to the (reasonably) melodic, and it is here where the comparisons actually become relevant.
It’s because of the sheer genius of the musicianship that you have to take a step back and a deep breath – there’s an energy, spit and fire here that makes this record stand out like a sore thumb. Throw in some pretty amazing vocals, especially in the range Brandon Welchez can hit, a bellowing bass and spazzy guitars and you’ve got a band that doesn’t know the meaning of the phrase ‘vers/chorus/verse‘. But for all the “oohs” and “aahs” the music generates, there’s something rather unsettling here. The references to sex and Nazi Germany are all a little too weird for me, although there’s probably a good chance this is all in the name of art anyway and lyrics such as “only icy glares in Deutschland, they march in X-rated rows of high fashion, cold-blooded crows,” probably mean something far more than I understand. Damn me forgetting what they tought me in A-Level English. The fascist symbols adorning the artwork are also rather odd too, but as I said, it’s probably some more underlying than promoting something nasty.
Despite all of the strangeness, tracks like ‘Lawnmower Love’ are hard hitting and heavy, yet beautifully intelligent. The fusion of jazz, maybe even elements of funk, and the usual hardcore-esque noise is fascinating at times, although I do feel this is a record I probably won’t be listening to three months down the line. It is an arty record and fans of this kind of music will no doubt lap this up – for the rest of us it’s an unsettling journey which some will be exhilarated by, whilst others could end up confused or repulsed…
Revelation
Paul