| CD REVIEW P.M.T. |
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Band : P.M.T. Although this Lausanne based Swiss band has been around since 1997, P.M.T. was a noble unknown entity to me until recently. In those 13 years since they've started, they've released two EPs and now 4 full-length albums, and have played support slots to the likes of Soulfly, Sepultura, Meshuggah, Clawfinger, Machine Head, KoRn, and Marilyn Manson and evidently also the local heavy players The Young Gods, Gurd, and others). It's a bit weird that I've never heard of the guys, because their releases have always profited from being related to relatively important people in the music business. Following their 1999 debut demo Soundwich Boom! Preview, the band attracts the attention of Phil Cambrain (producer Semitones & Watcha) whom produces the band's debut album Soundwich Boom, released that same year. A song off that album is even picked by jeans makers Levi's for inclusion in their A Drop Of Swiss Sound compilation album. In Autumn 2003 the band releases its 2nd EP 4play 2play, produced by Jason Slater (Snake River Conspiracy, Orgy, Rob Zombie, Slaves On Dope...) and mastered by Brian Garder (Jane's Addiction, Linkin Park, Eminem, Blink182...), followed by the full-length Acupuncture For The Soul in late February 2004 (with the same people involved). Until now, the band's releases were only distributed in their home country, which explains at least partially why those albums never got our way! Later in 2004, the band has songs on a couple of compilations...one a covermount of the Swiss Rockstar Magazine, which has a circulation of 30,000 copies in the German speaking part of the country...the other on French label Enragé Production, who distribute their stuff outside France to Quebec, Switzerland...and Belgium! In 2005 the band's last album was singed on for distribution in France, South Africa, and UK/ Ireland, through different local distributors.Released in May 2006, the band's previous album Topping From Below, would be a significant one for them, as it brought 'em in contact for the first time with former Krokus guitarist Dom Favez, whom produced the recordings. Other name-dropping worth while concerning this album include mixer engineer Jay Baumgardner (has produced Evanescence, KoRn and Papa Roach, to name but a few) and Ted Jensen, whom mastered the album at the renowned Sterling Sound studios in NYC. TFB would become the band's widest distributed album to date, being made digitally available in the whole of Europe first, and then in the US. With popularity increasing, this is when the band secures no less than 6 support slots for Marylin Manson, including a breathtaking last show in Bercy, after which the album gets a physical distribution in France as well. Fast forward to current days...halfway 2009 the six band members (singer Frankfrançois Ff, guitarists Kasper and PX, effects handler Doom, bassist Ray, and drummer Hellmut have apparently been together all those years, which is quite a feat) again find themselves in the studio with Dom Favez. Recording session which is interrupted when Marylin Manson again picks P.M.T. As support for the Swiss and French dates on their Summer 2009 European tour. Favez finds such enthousiasm in his work with the lads, that he eventually decides to join the band as their 7th member in the Fall. And again there's big name-dropping to be done, as Here Lies P.M.T. was mixed and mastered by none less than Logan Mader (former Machine Head a Soulfly member, produced albums by the likes of Cavalera Conspiracy, Devildriver, Gojira, …). Say...I've let you in the dark about the band's musical direction until now, haven't I? Well, the band itself calls it Psychocore, which may seem somewhat ill-chosen. Most people will of course think of some style of Hardcore first, before thinking about the possibility that it's the “psycho” bit in that description which is meant to be enhanced. You see, what you get is a radio friendly Metal (with guitars which may play nice 'n' heavy riffs a lot of the time, but of which one at least frequently brings the most enticing lead parts), which was given a slight Industrial touch by added beats and keyboard niceties. “Industrial” being somewhat of a keyword here. You see, the band obviously has some sympathies for the genre, and for the scenes connected to it, as proven by the subtle way they dress in videos...and by some of the songs' lyrics...for instance, the slightly militaristic sounding “Kinky Kamikaze II: Fetishtocracy” advocates SM Love, and “H.I. Vampire” (has one short sentence in French, by the way), well, that definitely has a Goth ring to it, doesn't it!?...but the guys also bring a couple of more “conventional” love songs with the very beautiful “RubEast Cube” and “Without You I'm Only Me” (the second of a heavier nature than the first, and with wacky additional drum beats, synth sounds, and countdown sequence midways), the calm opening “Helldorado”,and the overall calm “Some Tears Never Dry” (definitely the album's “ballad”). On the side the guys also tackle some socio-political issues with “Suffur” (with fake live audience chants), “Swisstika” and “Closer To God” (the latter partially done in French, by the way, and a hugely beautiful track – but then that's something I could say about each and every song on the album). Besides the purely instrumental aspect, the band gives their music extra attractiveness with their vocal approach...namely by frequently getting the backing singers to do more than just harmonic backing. They also invited a couple of women to add some of their vocal sounds on...3 songs, and had a “choir” add vocal lunacy to 2 others (I wonder whether the child vocals on “H.I. Vampire” are samples). Put it all together, and you've got an album which you will find difficult to set aside....I mean, I sure am experiencing something like that at this very moment, and it's a good thing that the website's business is currently at a low. It's allowed me to spend some more time with this album than I normally would've had (actually, I still feel reluctant to set it aside, and would rather continue writing all the kinds of praise it deserves, just to be able to hang onto it a little more...but I dó need to finish another review before this evening – and an equally “difficult” one, by the way). Make acquaintance with the very beautiful music of this band by listening to the songs posted at myspace.com/pmt1. There, this is where I end this! In all fairness, I would have to add Here Lies P.M.T. to my 2009 year-lists! 98/100 Tony. |
