UNEXPECT is a Goth version of MR BUNGLE, except not nearly as entertaining. At least BUNGLE could settle into a groove just long enough at times to make a song endearing. Plus, they had songs about masturbation and porno, and that's always amusing. It's hard to tell exactly what UNEXPECT are prattling on about.

Critiquing the seven performers involved is hard, as the credits on the disc are unreadable. They are laid out in a way that screams: "Look at us! We're weird!" For example, someone named "ExoD" handles "Electro-canvas; Pianistic attack; Sampling." It seems an art school somewhere is seven douchebags poorer.

One guy sings, and a chick sings too. The chick has a decent voice, as evidenced in the final moments of "Chromatic Chimera" and throughout "Feasting Fools," and "Summoning Scenes." The male's voice seems to exist only to satisfy the cookie monster quotient that most bands need these days. Musically, there is little to be impressed by here. The drums sound really fake and programmed, and the funky, slap bass heard throughout is as obnoxious and irritating as you can imagine. There are constant changes in tempo and time signature, some of them partially interesting, but most of them yawn-inducing. The half-time acoustic interlude in the aforementioned "Summoning Scenes" is pretty cool, but when the Nintendo-style keyboards and sound effects come in, the atmosphere is completely ruined.

So if you are turned off by the pretensions listed above, expect to be repulsed by UNEXPECT. This is just scatagorical nonsense for A.D.D. afflicted attention whores. They should take their Ritalin and go work on a mural, or something.

- Broadbent

OFFICIAL SITE: www.unexpect.com

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