Young Sexy Assassins
May Day In The Garden Of Memories
Mister
These guys call themselves “Maximalists.” We know all the jokes about minimalism, but they don’t really apply here. What exactly is maximalism? It sure isn’t in Webster’s, but from listening, I would call it a fully populated sound, with all spectral slots occupied by some sort of noise. There’s a lead yeller, John Douglas Manson, who has a vocal styling that makes Motorhead sound like Pavarotti. Guitars are abused as well, mostly by bass player Justin Stratman and lead Mark Pearson, and drummer Daniel Boucher tries to keep up with a drum machine run by the lead singer.
What does all this give the listening public? Interesting titles, at a maximum. Some even seem to match the lyrics, like “Swinging Anvils” or “Warm Bricks.” But mostly, it’s a sonic assault, and holding up a lighter at the show will only get it blown out by the bass speaker. I find them a bit histrionic, well-mixed but still suffering from a difficult-to-separate set of instruments, and vocals subservient to those same mechanisms of vibration. Perhaps this would sound a bit nicer if I heard it when some kids pulled up next to me at the stop light.
Mister Records: http://www.misterrecords.com/
