Taking Trip-Hop to a gritty, menacing and violent terrain, Chainsuck's mesh of grinding guitars and samples, minor-key musical phrases, lovely and breathy female vocals and insistent down-tempo beats may alienate fans of Morcheeba as it embraces the Goth and Industrial crowds. With song titles like "Anything But Dead" (an enigmatic beauty with its intriguing chord changes, lilting chorus, mesmerizing vocal lines and image-laden lyrics) and "Razors and Decay," Chainsuck reveal their grim vision. So do these lyrics to the curiously named "Pornstar:" "In honor of the gold, I will plant a kiss / To send you off to heaven or rip you to shreds." Fortunately, it never sounds like they are simply wallowing in their deadly, psychosexual imagery; they elevate these morbid stories with superlative songcraft and musicianship.
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