SATANIZED Technical Virginity

True to their name, Philadelphia based quartet (current line-up of singer Andrew M. Gaspar, guitarist Alex Nagle, bassist Evan Lipson, and drummer Vincent Klopfenstein – former members being Pete Angevine and Natalie Mering, but don't ask me which were their functions in the band or whom their replacements were) Satanized did its first gig on June 6, 2006 or, written down more appropriately, 06/06/06...get the pun?

A year later, the guys released their debut full-length Sickness And Hellth: The Secular Chansons Of Satanized, through Badmaster Records on a limited rotation of 500 copies, and during Summer 2009 the band had a song of theirs on the 27-band cassette compilation Cancel My Erections (Raise The Flaccid Horn), issued as the first release by new label Damage Rituals. Next release would not let itself be waited on that long, as in January 2010 Badmaster Records came along with a 7-inch split with AIDS Wolf (who had 2 new songs on  the EP, while Satanized had one, also previously unreleased). From AIDS Wolf to British Noise & Art Rock lovers Skin Graft Records, that's but a small step, and so that's where we find the band's sophomore album.

Describing the band's music seems to have been a dare for most music journalists in the past, some calling it “...forward looking Avant Metal that harkens back to the heavy mindfuck throb of Jesus Lizard and the disjunct, outside-the-groove damage inflicted by Collosamite...” (author unknown), while another states that Satanized “make music that is confrontational and completely uncompromising...the guitars rain and slither down in jagged sheets of pure treble, backed by heavy-hitting, stop-start rhythms and a crazed vocal attack not for the squeamish...” (The Deli Philadelphia), while yet another feels “...this totally weird band is a terrifying and truly original blend of primitive and disgusting Sludge Punk aesthetics and really advanced musical content...” (Verboser). Well...when I listen to Technical Virginity, those statements only partially succeed in describing what I hear!

Because the album opens with the instrumental “One For Asmodeus”, a dark and moody atmospheric piece which could be seen as Industrial Ambient, and which is possibly generated with a wacky synth...unless there's an effect pedal out there which enables a guitar to produce these icy kinds of sounds? The same can be said of the music of album closing song “The Fear (To Penetrate)” (which has Gaspar bringing his lyrics with a somewhat moaning declamation styled voice). No hint at synths or other keyboards on the songs in between, though! And the music there can indeed be described a Progressive mix of angular Post-Hardcore with Math Rock elements and often gut-wrenched screamed/ moaning shouted vocals. Quite original overall, and definitely something we don't come across too often. There's a feel of misanthropy about this band, and that not only in its name...but still, the complexities and repeated melodies have a greater attraction factor for me than your ready-to-digest run-of-the-mill middle-of-the-road stuff commercial labels usually wanna force-feed the big Metal/ Hardcore/ Punk audiences on!

For your own listening session, immediately surf to (www.) myspace.com/stnzd666, where you'll find this album's “Arnaud De Verniolle”, and 3 older tracks. Enough to put you wise about Satanized music, or put you off...but somehow the fact that you kept on reading this review up to this point seems like an indicator to me that either you're possibly into this kind or music or, that you're open-minded enough to try it out! Me, I've found another addition to my 2011 year-lists!

98/100

Lorsque l'on porte un nom comme celui-là, si on joue une musique qui attire les foules, il y a de quoi s’interroger... mais fort heureusement, SATANIZED, comme son nom l'indique attirera plutôt des êtres nocturnes, terrés et aux yeux globuleux et rouges. Les permanentées, les cravates, et autres quidams resteront chez eux à l'annonce du passage du grand Malin à proximité de leurs sacro-saintes demeures.

Ne vous attendez pas à un groupe de Black Métal clouté et maquillé, la signature chez Skingraft Records annonce la couleur d'une Noise plutôt dégoulinante de sons stridents et crispants. Doté d'une lourde basse, qui sait calmer le jeu et rappeller celui parfois nébuleux de THE JESUS LIZARD, SATANIZED offre un album 8 titres (9 avec le morceau caché pour la version CD) denses et pernicieux.

La production malheureusement ne suit pas toujours cédant parfois à un réglage brouillon presque Live et pourri. Si il fallait bien entendu un son à la hauteur de la pestilence recherchée, il n'était pas négligeable d'offrir un disque à la production réfléchie plutôt qu'hasardeuse.

Comme à l'accoutumée avec Skingraft Records, le Technical Virginity de SATANIZED, ne s'adressera qu'aux amateurs du genre. D'ailleurs le nom provocateur du groupe n'apporte pas grand chose sur le contenu et ses attentes. D'autres formations du label peuvent même présenter un pédigré bien plus perverti que le groupe de Philadelphie. Comme quoi, il faut bel et bien toujours se méfier de ceux qui en parle le plus...