| CD REVIEW Blitzkid |
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Band : Blitzkid You know, I’m growing increasingly annoyed with the apparent incompetence with which some music journalists for the bigger European printed magazines go about their job. Not only do they sometimes not bother to check up on bands ffurther than the info they’re getting along with a new release, but they also portray band in a completely wrong daylight…euhm musical setting! Take the (rather short) review of Blitzkid’s Anatomy Of Reanimation in that otherwise rather reputed Dutch magazine (no, no actual names, you’ll have to find out for yourselves), for instance: the American Blitzkid would have 4 previous albums to their name, are sound-wize in a style akin to The Misfits, and now bringing their best album to date (as older material would be bothered by lame productions! Well, the only thing they got right in there, is the band’s name, the fact that they’re from the US, and the 4 previous full-length releases. From Bluefield, Virginia, Blitzkid was founded during 1997 by TB Monstrosity (guitar & vocals) and Argyle Goolsby (vocals & bass) with a drummer whose name they forgot since (changing drummerr would be a constant problem for the band throughout their career), and soon released their demo Songs For The Aesthetically Challenged. After a couple of first gigs in 1999, the band recorded their official debut with the Revisited EP, followed that same winter by debut full-length Terrifying Tales (re-issued in 2007 with bonus DVD by Cinema Sky Productions). 2001 saw the release of sophomore album Let Flowers Die (re-issued in 2003 on Antidote, and on Horror High in 2007). German label Fiend Force started showing interest in 2003, putting a song of the band on their This Is Horrorpunk compilation before releasing Trace Of A Stranger in Europe (Antidote would still do the US distribution) that same year. Evidently, a first tour through Europe ensued. The band’s fourth regular studio album Five Cellars Below would be released during early 2006 [the band’s biography on their MySpace page mentions an additional live DVD and two split vinyl EPs (of which I found no trace)...and also it says Blitzkid released a total of six full-length albums, but fails to mention which those are (still, Anatomy… would be one of ‘em, so there’s only one I’ve overlooked somehow…might well be the 2002 Exhuming Graves And Making Dates things mentioned below). It doés go on to mention that songs of the band hàve been used in a couple of movie soundtracks, most notably in that of It Came From Trafalgar]. Further tours through Europe (including some festival appearances) and the US followed. About the drummer: since the departure of their last steady sticksman Jesco, the drum stool was alternally seated by either former Blitzkid member Reah M. or ex-Misfits basher Dr. Chud. Most probably, that’s the bit of info on which above (not) mentioned music journalist stared himself blind…because musically the band has little to do with the stylings of the first Horrorpunk/ Death-Rock bands alà The Misfits or Christian Death! Nah, their music is a rather simple one, but effective, and closer to the Poppier Punk stylings of a band like The Damned, than anything else! The funny thing about the mistake made by that same music journalist, is that he only needed to look into the booklet coming with the album to know that Anatomy Of Reanimation, Volume 1 is really a compilation of re-recorded versions, re-recorded in the first place because at least 90% of the songs (14 in total in this case) are subbtly played differently in live conditions, or things were added the band wished they’d been able to add with the original recordings (time and budget not allowing in the old days). So, in addition to 2 songs off the debut full-length, there’s 5 off the sophomore one, and no less than 6 off the third…plus a song off a 2002 release entitled Exhuming Graves And Making Dates (the missing link in the discography list above?). Obviously, the sound is better than ever before, and what with this being a compilation of songs which fans have talked about being their favourites, the material is equally obviously among the most catchy the band has (well, partly at least, because I hear a volume 2 is upcoming next year). Iif you wanna listen to a couple of songs by the band, surf to myspace.com/blitzkid to find 3 songs off the band’s latest regular studio album (plus a song off a single or perhaps even one of those split releases – I ain’t sure, really). Possibly (sorry, I haven’t checked due to lack of time…but at least I’m honest about it) there’s even a couple of extra songs at the band’s own website blitzkid.com! Re-recorded versions of older songs on a sorts of “best of”…definitely don’t get a rating. But give me some time to give this CD a couple more spins in the CD-player around the hopefully calmer Christmas days (who àm I kiddin’?) and it might well land into my year-lists! Tony. |