- Oct 22, 2006
- 142
- 0
- 16
Tony Naima & The Bitters - Dismember
Regain Records–7320470068243–November 27th 2006
By Dan Fisher
Now this is a strange one: a collection of seminal death metal band Dismember’s songs dismembered; reworked in a variety of styles including alt. rock, country, electronica and even Danny Elfman-esque pastiche. The brainchild of up and coming Swedish songwriter Tony Naima, the album was conceived after Naima was invited to perform some of his reworkings at a recent Dismember release party. Apparently, the reception he got from the crowd was enough to convince the band to allow Naima, and his respective band, The Bitters, to record a whole covers album of their material.
Before we go any further, for those of you who are now scratching their heads and wondering why this album was ever made, I sympathise. Indeed, the grand transmutator himself addresses this very question on his myspace page, and answers thus:
’Why not (?) This is new to me. These are formulas I don’t understand, words that are too long and a new way of not thinking so much. I read the lyrics and do the first thing that comes up. A new way to break old patterns in how to do and listen to music. I didn’t know where I would end up and with what. A long time since I had this much fun.’
Ah, that deceptive word fun. A strange word because often one person’s idea of fun becomes another’s misery and this album is weird because while showing some real potential as an artist, there is also some nonsense that should have been sealed in a lead container and buried somewhere. To review this album as a stand alone is perhaps missing the point. After all, it is essentially a covers album. But the tracks are so far removed from their more abrasive counterparts that it’s fruitless to say this album is awful because the songs are nothing like the originals. The tracks definitely have their own identity and deserve a stand alone review.
First I am surprised at the quality of the recording, considering you can hear someone, presumably Naima, counting in for most of the song’s intros. Perhaps this was done to create a more spontaneous, jamming feel to the album. Or, if I was being cynical, to make it sound deliberately under produced, tentative even. This is so when people mock the album (as they might) the artist can say: ‘well it was only a bit of fun anyway, thought up over a couple of jam sessions’. Nevertheless I personally found it had a positive effect on the music, especially tracks like ‘Where the Ironcrosses Grow’ that have the country and alt. rock influences. The aforementioned track and a very good folk-ballad reworking of ’Let the Napalms Rain’ are the highlights of the album for me. Unfortunately these are spoiled by the fact they have three versions of the same song (’I Saw them Die’) on the album, two of which are rubbish. There is a also a screeching strings instrumental in the middle which is awful and a secret electronica track that I wish had remained secret. The album yoyos between wanting to be taken seriously and undercutting itself by mediocre song craftsmanship. This is a shame as there are three or four tracks here that are inventive enough to engage the listener past the first few spins.
Tony Naima and The Bitters have produced an oddity that will divide the people who listen to it. All you need to know is that there are signs of ability and originality but this album is far too hit and miss to gain any of the credibility the band might have desired for it.
5/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official Tony Naima Website
Official Regain Records Website
Regain Records–7320470068243–November 27th 2006
By Dan Fisher
Now this is a strange one: a collection of seminal death metal band Dismember’s songs dismembered; reworked in a variety of styles including alt. rock, country, electronica and even Danny Elfman-esque pastiche. The brainchild of up and coming Swedish songwriter Tony Naima, the album was conceived after Naima was invited to perform some of his reworkings at a recent Dismember release party. Apparently, the reception he got from the crowd was enough to convince the band to allow Naima, and his respective band, The Bitters, to record a whole covers album of their material.
Before we go any further, for those of you who are now scratching their heads and wondering why this album was ever made, I sympathise. Indeed, the grand transmutator himself addresses this very question on his myspace page, and answers thus:
’Why not (?) This is new to me. These are formulas I don’t understand, words that are too long and a new way of not thinking so much. I read the lyrics and do the first thing that comes up. A new way to break old patterns in how to do and listen to music. I didn’t know where I would end up and with what. A long time since I had this much fun.’
Ah, that deceptive word fun. A strange word because often one person’s idea of fun becomes another’s misery and this album is weird because while showing some real potential as an artist, there is also some nonsense that should have been sealed in a lead container and buried somewhere. To review this album as a stand alone is perhaps missing the point. After all, it is essentially a covers album. But the tracks are so far removed from their more abrasive counterparts that it’s fruitless to say this album is awful because the songs are nothing like the originals. The tracks definitely have their own identity and deserve a stand alone review.
First I am surprised at the quality of the recording, considering you can hear someone, presumably Naima, counting in for most of the song’s intros. Perhaps this was done to create a more spontaneous, jamming feel to the album. Or, if I was being cynical, to make it sound deliberately under produced, tentative even. This is so when people mock the album (as they might) the artist can say: ‘well it was only a bit of fun anyway, thought up over a couple of jam sessions’. Nevertheless I personally found it had a positive effect on the music, especially tracks like ‘Where the Ironcrosses Grow’ that have the country and alt. rock influences. The aforementioned track and a very good folk-ballad reworking of ’Let the Napalms Rain’ are the highlights of the album for me. Unfortunately these are spoiled by the fact they have three versions of the same song (’I Saw them Die’) on the album, two of which are rubbish. There is a also a screeching strings instrumental in the middle which is awful and a secret electronica track that I wish had remained secret. The album yoyos between wanting to be taken seriously and undercutting itself by mediocre song craftsmanship. This is a shame as there are three or four tracks here that are inventive enough to engage the listener past the first few spins.
Tony Naima and The Bitters have produced an oddity that will divide the people who listen to it. All you need to know is that there are signs of ability and originality but this album is far too hit and miss to gain any of the credibility the band might have desired for it.
5/10
UM’s Review Rating Scale
Official Tony Naima Website
Official Regain Records Website
