From the Vault...

04/09/2017
#1563

info
Braindead Sound Machine
"Come Down The Hills And Make My Baby"


© Wax Trax Records

Rating:

track listing
  • I'm In Jail (Edit)
  • Dogvillasan (Version)
  • Walkin' After Midnight
  • The Ballad Of
    Hank Kimball's
    Daughter
  • This Is Nitro
  • Boucher Amour
  • Sixty-Minute Zulu Man
  • Pai Gow Poker And
    Ginger Ale
  • Heads Will Roll
  • Bang Your Head
  • I'm In Jail
    (Cedar County Mix)
  • Dogvillasan
    (Metal Machine Mix)
  • Ballad Of H.K.D. Reprise
  • This Is Nitro (Outro)

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    Braindead Sound Machine related sites:
    Braindead Sound Machine Website
    Wikipedia
    Previous Review: #1562
    Jimmy Wayne--Do You Believe Me Now
    Next Review: #1564
    Hawkwind--Hall Of The Mountain Grill
    Braindead Sound Machine
    "Come Down The Hills And Make My Baby"



    From the Industrial Music category, we take a look at one of the many bands (and this type of music) most music fans probably have never heard of. Primarily from the Wax Trax record label, this particular label achieved many Industrial bands that many haven't heard of, and quite honestly, overlooked. The Wax Trax box set, Wax Trax! Records: The First 13 Years (Black Box) featured many bands from the label. Bands such as 1000 Homo DJ's (featuring a young Trent Reznor [Nine Inch Nails]), KMFDM, Ministry, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, and Laibach. (All of these bands we have already, or will be, reviewed.)


    The band Braindead Sound Machine was brought to my attention by Blake Biggerstaff, who was one of my employees at the college I work at, before 9/11. He also introduced me to Laibach. Some of the other bands mentioned in the previous paragraph I had heard of, but not neccessarily known of their music. Braindead Sound Machine was created by its founding members, Cole Coonce, Warren Croyle (aka "Mr. Reality") and Ikky Shivers. Formed in Los Angeles, California, the band's music was categorized as Industrial, MetalDisco. They only released two albums, Come Down From The Hills And Make My Baby (1991; Wax Trax) and Give Me Something Hard I Can Take To My Grave (1993; Shivers).


    Coonce and Coyle formed what is called "metaldisco" -- putting together Black Sabbath riffs topped by disco-y rhythm guitar and etheral female vocals. Shivers, a sound engineer, contributed in providing non-musical screeching noises from his collection of reburished vintage analog syntehesizers. The services of female singers included Sun 60's Joan Jones, Khalsoum Saloum and JenJen (Jenny Homer from Downy Mildew). The band was "obsessed by drag racing, drag queens, and the apocalyptic downfall of the entertainment industry."


    Come Down From The Hills And Make My Baby produced two singles, "I'm In Jail" b/w "Dogvillasan" (which was released on Nitro Records, in 1990). "I'm In Jail" was released again a year later, on Wax Trax. The second single was the remake of Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" b/w "Everybody, Everybody" (not released from Come Down... This single was released in 1992. "I'm In Jail (Edit)" leads the album, and is quite a very good hard rock tune.


    "Dogvillasan (Version)" is another quite good Rock tune, and if you listen closely, you can't help but hear the riff from Blue Oyster Cult's "Godzilla." The Patsy Cline remake of "Walkin' After Midnight" is by far way different than we're already familiar with. "The Ballad Of Hank Kimball's Daughter" is an instrumental, and it has an eerie sound in a way, yet it's more like music for a soundtrack movie. And for those of you wondering who Hank Kimball was, he was the county agent in the television comedy, Green Acres.


    "This Is Nitro" is way eerie, with it's computerized voice intro, and rock/metal music atmosphere. Metal/Speed Metal gets "Bouch'er Amour." Not exactly my exquisite taste, but its ok. "Sixty-Minute Zulu Man" however, is cool, and has it's hard rock/metal sound. "Pai Gow Poker And Ginger Ale" is another catchy rock/metal track. And if they really wanted to, they could have finished the "Peter Gunn" sound, as it does sound just a little like the famous instrumental.


    "Heads Will Roll" is more Alternative Rock, as it's slow-down style could be a song that even Metallica could try. "Bang Your Head" is a really short piece, and it's weird, strange, Halloween'ish. "I'm In Jail (Cedar County Mix)" is another version of it's title. Yet the (Edit) mix is better. The "Dogsvillasan (Metal Machine Mix)" is just one second short of 12-minutes. It's just about the same as the (Version) heard earlier, yet it's mixed more with echo, and extended into a much longer version, where the (Version)> is clocked in at less than 5 minutes in length. (The Blue Oyster Cult "Godzilla" riff is still there, and is the song's highlight, likewise the vocals - Dog-villa-san, Dog-villa-san...)


    "Ballad Of H.K.D. Reprise" just as eerie and soundtrack music as the one heard earlier. And the Outro of "This Is Nitro" is very short, with the computerized voice, saying "Nitro." Once again, eerie.


    Come Down From The Hills And Make My Baby by Braindead Sound Machine is a different album, and quite honestly, very well done. It has it's moments: strange, eerie, yet the Rock and Metal tunes are the standouts. The "I'm In Jail" mixes, the Dogvillasan" mixes, Patsy Cline's "Walkin' After Midnight" are the ones that gets the heaviest airplays. This album does grow on you, from the first listens and beyond. This album may not be in everyone's "Albums You Must Have Before You Die," list, but still, this album can easily fit the "Interesting Albums To Listen To" category. Braindead Sound Machine ranks up there with the many bands in the Industrial genre, although they only had two albums in their history. And, like them, there are other bands that are just as good, if not better. Just as the list of bands I had mentioned above: 1000 Homo DJ's (featuring a young Trent Reznor [Nine Inch Nails]), KMFDM, Ministry, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Laibach. And of course, the Wax Trax Box Set. We have reviewed albums by Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, and Laibach. The Wax Trax Box Set will make its review also in the future.


    Their original website no longer exists, but you can find Braindead Sound Machine on facebook, SoundCloud, and their Wikipedia page.


    © WSVNRadio.net. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Wax Trax Records and is used for reference purposes only.


    Previous Review: #1562
    Jimmy Wayne--Do You Believe Me Now
    Next Review: #1564
    Hawkwind--Hall Of The Mountain Grill