Thursday, January 29, 2015

6:33 - Deadly Scenes (2015)

Out of all the weird band names I have encountered during my life time, this one might take the prize. I mean, who names their band after a bunch of numbers one see on a digital watch? Well, these Frenchmen did it, and they have now released their third full length album entitled "Deadly Scenes".

Just like their weird band name, the sound of 6:33 is... well, weird. It is a vast mix of Devin Townsend, jazz, Tim Burton movie music, and a whole bunch of other bands and styles that I cannot comprehend. It is definitely a unique sound that lives on chaos and confusion, but some how it feels so well thought out that it makes perfect sense, making it very interesting listening to it. But the real treat with 6:33 is the shear joy that surrounds everything. The infectious groove in the music is unstoppable, forcing all of your bones to rattle until you cannot sit quietly in your chair. It is a disease that you do not mind having.

All of this insanity is also mixed with a good dose of comedy, whether it is in the silly sound, a pun in "The Walking Fed" or some inappropriate children stories, you can be sure that these guys will try to give you a good laugh or two. And as I have said before, it feels good that there are some people in the metal world that has a sense of humour and shows it through their music, so it does not become dead serious all the time.

As a big fan of Devin Townsend, I off course get attracted to those songs that have most of the influences from the Canadian mad man. "Lazy Boy" has a peculiar mix of ambient music and space like licks that is both beautiful and mesmerizing. The jazzy groove in "Ego Fandango" is incredibly catchy and silly, and it has a sweet drive that not even a semi bad rap part can destroy. It is like the took the Devin song "Bad Devil" and just remodeled it. And then we have "I'm A Nerd", a song title that more or less speaks for itself with its silly, but yet confident sound.

The biggest accomplishment I think 6:33 pulled off in "Deadly Scenes" is the enormous variation in the album. During the entire album, you will never have a clue to what will hit you next. To do that, and still contain a huge catchiness factor is very impressive. Hell, they even have variation when it comes to their stage names. We have Rorschach, Dietrisch Von Schtrudle, S.A.D, and the guy with the very funny name, Niko. And for those wondering, yes, they also have masks when performing, which of course would scare a lot of listeners, thinking the band is too silly for their own good. My thought is, as long as the band is performing well and write good music, they can do whatever they want with their image. It certainly does affect them to a certain extent, but the music should not suffer because of it.

This album could end up as one of the bigger surprises this year, because I did not see before me that I would enjoy such a odd album, but whatever 6:33 is doing, they are doing a hell of a nice job. The controlled chaos in "Deadly Scenes" is weird, but also very intriguing, giving you a urge to want more of it. The infectious grooves and wacky influences blend well together, creating a highly memorable album. If you are going to get out of your own comfort zone and listen to something crazy just once this year, please let this album be you choice. You can thank me afterwards.

Songs worthy of recognition: Ego Fandango, I'm A Nerd, Lazy Boy

Rating: 7,5/10 Black Widows

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