Ultraviolence Blown Away 94-04
Earache Records MOSH288 6th December 2004
By Russell Garwood
So, if you look right at the bottom of this fine review section, you will find a critique of mine from two years ago. I didnt really like Ultraviolences debut at the time, and I made my thoughts on the fact very, very clear. Well, Im about to eat some humble pie. No, I lie, Im about to gaily frolic in a huge vat of boiling hot humble pie, before getting severe burns and lying on the floor whimpering like a little girl. That is because, in the last two years, I have steadily been buying my way through the bands back-catalogue. While gabber was once a guilty pleasure, I have come to realise it is considerably closer to metal than many would like to admit; aggressive, controversial, dark, and extreme the majority of the tracks on Blown Away are all of these things.
With that small piece of explanation for my humble pie eating over, on to the review. This release is a 30 track, 2CD retrospective of the groundbreaking acts career. The first disc is all album material, very nicely showing Johnny Violents progression from the early, more extreme, industrial-infused work of Life Of Destructor, through the trance-core and hard techno showcased on Killing God to the more accessible and polished Superpower. Throughout Johnny V. has always had the ability to mix caustic electronics with more melodic, accessible elements, as well as fitting in occasional classical influences And make the pretty cybergoths dance like bunnies on speed. An excellent mix indeed. A dark streak is also prevalent, with pitch black lyrical themes and perverse samples. The second disc has two new tracks, UV remixes of acts like Misery Loves Co. and OLD, and several remixed versions of the tracks on CD1, by artists such as Lenny Dee (Indsutrial Strength). Blown Away is well worth getting for fans of the band, and serves as an excellent introduction, not only to Ultraviolence, but to gabber in general this is about as good as it gets.
8/10
P.S.Sorry Phil! (not really)
Official Earache website
Official Ultraviolence website
P.P.S.Whimper
Earache Records MOSH288 6th December 2004
By Russell Garwood
So, if you look right at the bottom of this fine review section, you will find a critique of mine from two years ago. I didnt really like Ultraviolences debut at the time, and I made my thoughts on the fact very, very clear. Well, Im about to eat some humble pie. No, I lie, Im about to gaily frolic in a huge vat of boiling hot humble pie, before getting severe burns and lying on the floor whimpering like a little girl. That is because, in the last two years, I have steadily been buying my way through the bands back-catalogue. While gabber was once a guilty pleasure, I have come to realise it is considerably closer to metal than many would like to admit; aggressive, controversial, dark, and extreme the majority of the tracks on Blown Away are all of these things.
With that small piece of explanation for my humble pie eating over, on to the review. This release is a 30 track, 2CD retrospective of the groundbreaking acts career. The first disc is all album material, very nicely showing Johnny Violents progression from the early, more extreme, industrial-infused work of Life Of Destructor, through the trance-core and hard techno showcased on Killing God to the more accessible and polished Superpower. Throughout Johnny V. has always had the ability to mix caustic electronics with more melodic, accessible elements, as well as fitting in occasional classical influences And make the pretty cybergoths dance like bunnies on speed. An excellent mix indeed. A dark streak is also prevalent, with pitch black lyrical themes and perverse samples. The second disc has two new tracks, UV remixes of acts like Misery Loves Co. and OLD, and several remixed versions of the tracks on CD1, by artists such as Lenny Dee (Indsutrial Strength). Blown Away is well worth getting for fans of the band, and serves as an excellent introduction, not only to Ultraviolence, but to gabber in general this is about as good as it gets.
8/10
P.S.Sorry Phil! (not really)
Official Earache website
Official Ultraviolence website
P.P.S.Whimper
