Program the Dead - Calling the Snakes
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008
Program the Dead - Psycho Teenage Lust
Program the Dead - Dumpster Diving for Love
Atlanta locals Program the Dead seem to be trying to cut and paste a laundry list of rock sounds in one package, which isn’t an impossible feat, but their latest EP Calling the Snakes trails off and loses steam once the band tries to venture out and conquer new territory. They establish their strengths with the first two tracks, only to dismiss them and introduce some half-hearted attempts at more radio-friendly work. Listening to “When You See Me” is like listening to a Who ballad gone wrong, derailed by an insipid chorus and a “no-brainer” guitar solo.
Some songs, like the opener “Psycho Teenage Lust” sound like a down-tuned Raw Power-era Stooges with a horror element. The next track, “Dumpster Diving for Love,” is fast and ominous, with crunchy guitars played through muddy amplification like what you hear on Kyuss’ Wretch. The vocals are bitter and sardonic, and Matt James’ voice resonates well with the sludgy rock and roll backdrop they’ve created. It’s a strange mixture, but it’s probably their most striking and pronounced feature
“Comin’ Down” is a return to the sleazy rock and roll revelry you’re supposed to expect from a band like this. However, the song takes a nose-dive as the band tries to counter-balance their hard edges with some airy noodling. I’m aware the song is about, well, “coming down,” but the “down” aspect is obviously not their strong suit. If only there were some mediator between PTD’s harsh moments and those more gentle, then the album would be less of a sloppy push-pull routine, and more a solid composition.
The record’s finisher, “Shoot the Moon” is another pseudo-ballad, an ethereal melodramatic question mark that could be placed at the end of any these sentences: “What happened to the rock?” “Where’d the swagger go?” “Ozzfest or Warped Tour?”
Program the Dead need to understand that a jack of all trades is often a master of none.
