Mythical Burrowing Animals - same - 2000
intro
As I said in Obvious’ review, Tube Records is a record label specialized in music related to Pink Floyd. I ignore what the relation between the Floyd and Mythical Burrowing Animals (M.B.A.) is, but sincerely I can't find it anywhere.review
Although taking risks an element that we can admire in progressive rock, and that all that means going beyond the limits will always be blessed by progVisions’ staff, we ought to define the limits and the fields and, at least, know the limits that progressive rock should knock down and those that it shouldn’t because they correspond to another musical style. Well, for many years people have been saying marvelous things of a music genre (some ones call it a crossover) in which all kinds of styles are mixed together -and when I say “all”, I do mean ALL – and whose main exponents are the fabulous Mr. Bungle, who have also been followed by other bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Fishbone, Primus... Some industrial bands, like the saga Ministry (Butthole Surfers, 10.000 Homo Dj´s) or Trent Treznor himself and his Nine Inch Nails (not in vain Belew collaborates with them), have also contributed to the success of this music style. As Mr. Bungle’s greatest legacy in progressive rock, we cannot forget John Jowitt and his "Uneasy listening".
Without reaching the edges the way Mr. Bungle did it, and those that nobody has ever reached yet because of fear or shame, MBA is a band that melts a great number of styles (or a style of their own, if you prefer) in a very irreverent way and with an impressive self-confidence. "Hot Dang", first track on the CD, combines industrial sounds with a typical hard rock refrain and some interesting guitar arpeggios. "Fresh meat sunset" is a theme that includes a firm rhythm and industrial tendencies (treated voices, percussion's,…) moving to hardcore. "ZERO?" could have been written by John Lennon during an acid trip if the "White Álbum" had been recorded in 2001 (or maybe during a full collaboration with Devo?). "Celebrity Hair" is a partying song, with shades of stone rock and a mixture of light and the dark passages. In "Snack Hazard" things slow down a bit and we find a dynamic track with a refrain that reminds of Mr. Bungle’s "Egg" and a voice that also evokes... Mark Knopfler!. After this great theme, there are tracks like "Mystery Fuck" -a very amusing track in an “industrialized ZZ Top” way - and "Uncle Oxigen", a very straight theme (you can realize it on the number of times that you hear word "fuck" repeated) with a punk essence. The disc closes with three differently structured tracks: "Isambard" with a tremendous drumbeat taken from hell and with an amazing teen spirit during which the same text and music during are repeated for... 5 minutes!; "MBA" -the best part in the whole CD, no doubt - keeps these intelligent and very progressive industrial aesthetics (if I dare say) that has much in common with Bowie ("Earthling" period); and "Dirtbird", the closest track to Pink Floyd that can be found in this album.
conclusion
It’s now time to make a critic on this CD and I would like to tell you that, Alfonso Algora (the man himself) has really appreciated it, but that might be due to my strange musical likes that don’t include only progressive rock. For Alfonso Algora music critic for progVisions - where it is necessary to be objective with the readers in a progressive point of view -, this MBA CD is for progressive fans that are very, very open minded, and whose concept of progressive music is extremely large. The critic is written, the similarities are done... now you have the last word.