Vverevvolf Grehv

Zombie Aesthetics

[2/5]

On paper, at least, it seems like an interesting idea: Guitarist Dapose of Omaha, Nebraska, nü-new-wavers the Faint creates a death-metal-inspired electronica record with nothing more than six strings and a laptop, incorporating the phantasmagoric version of the band-moniker animal du jour, and releases the digitized corpse via indie-metal powerhouse Relapse. All the evidence made available so far indicates that Dapose is not a poseur, but that’s beside the point when you listen to the album itself. The tracks on Zombie Aesthetics convulse wildly as if inflicted with some sort of computerized epilepsy, trailing a litany of flailing Mr. Bungle-isms and superfluous circus noises, hammer-smash-face percussion and manic death grunts/howls-like something the TV from Poltergeist might whip up in its spare time. Essentially, it’s the kooky haunted-house version of snap-crackle-pop electronic music that fares better as a display of laptop prowess than anything you’d actually want to listen to. (RELAPSE) J. Bennett