Masshysteri-S/T LP

Masshysteri are back and sounding better then ever this time they add a second guitar player and perfect their sound to a science. This their 2nd LP combines elements from their other records and extra moody overtones creating a sound that is not unlike the Dangerhouse releases but comes off with a lot more texture. At times you can hear faint echos of Joy Division, and something else that i cant quite put into words...it reminds me of the mid to late 80's when everybody was experimenting and a lot of "New Wave" bands were popping up and bands that had been around were adding these little twist to their music.

Masshysteri take their time with this album and work you into it song by song and before you know it you are completely drawn in and i personally found myself a drift in every layered track. They got tons going on here but it works out in a way thats not too overwhelming. I can see some people turning away from this since its not really an intense punk thing like The Vicious were and it is somewhat on the long side but i feel like those who are already invested in the group will be very pleased.

So i have come to love this group and cant stop playing this album. 10 tracks of phenomenal, well thought of and layered punk inspired pop. Masshysteri's S/T album was put out on Ny Vag and Feral Ward records and can be found in your favorite distros.

http://www.myspace.com/masshysteri
www.feralward.com

Total Abuse-Mutt LP

Taking things slowly off the deep end Total Abuse come back with another full length that may not be as surprising as the last but to me comes off just as good.

When this thing first hit there was a lot of talk of the band expanding far beyond anything they had done in the past and leaving their old sounds behind. All though the band does add some changes this time around its nothing major. For the most part I believe this album would please fans of the last LP, overall it continues where they left off and makes for a good sequel.

The recording strikes me as a little more on the lo-fi side and reminds me of the demo/sex pig recordings. The vocals are more gruff and the guitars and bass blend together a littler more which makes some songs have a "wall of sound" effect. The lyrics continue to be stripped and come off like chants more than anything.

"Mutt" may not be a hit after hit kind of record but its got some great jams on it that come off familiar but aren't exact replicas of past songs. I still think the Lp debut is more intense as I feel it almost tells a story all the way through, while this one kind of lacks that sense of direction.

So all in all id say "Mutt" is a good record without any major weak points and Total Abuse continue to focus on perfecting their sound. It may not hit quite as hard as the previous LP but it certainly has its moments and should have you coming back to enjoy your favorites.

Released on PPM with 100 on white wax and 900 on black. Comes with a booklet, download code and not so good artwork.
available from various distros and best buy(no joke).

http://www.myspace.com/totalabuse