I must confess. I've met these guys more than a few times. Seen them play at their infant stages. I seem to even recall them having another band before this one. I could be wrong. See, one of my hundreds of roommates used to be in a band that played with these guys a lot. I recall that their vocalist produced BDM's first outing as well. My antics at that time have clouded most of it. It was a true scene from Sodom and Gomorrah. Total over the top debauchery that went on till the sun came up just about every night. Ahh the memories I have of the fun, yet so little of the scenery. Regardless, I recalled not liking them when I first heard what they were up to. Too straight and narrow and bladda bladda blah. "The kids" ate it up like candy though. Loved it. I can recall seeing them at least 5-10 times and the crowd went wild each time. Mind you, this was in some shitty little youth club. Hadda go next door to get a drink. I recall doing this once and seeing the local MARILYN MANSON coppin' a hummer off some chick (maybe it was two, can't recall) in the bushes next to the big water fountain.

Regardless, these boys is all grown up now. I read on their site that this record is mostly about "the road". Which seems cheezy and, well, it is. The lyrics are typical abysmal shlock poetry of the highest order but, man, does the music smoke! Lotsa good stuff going on and it was nice to hear after having to listen to my other review materials for this month. Like a breath of fresh air. It seemed to fit my plowing my way back home after a wedding reception for a friend. The speed at which they played seemed to match my driving and it was equally erratic. The words came with the speed of the thoughts I kept having. I drove by myself and when you're on that lost highway and the hours just melt away your mind strays back and then forward and then off to the side and that's how this sounds. The scenery was perfect. A mass of factories belching death into the air with more lights than Cloud City at night.

This record is probably not going to change your world but it has a weird atmospheric quality to it. It's the eighth minute of "Orgone Accumulator". It's the beginning of "Moon Dreams". It's everything, nothing, and something. It's a greasy double cheeseburger when you're hungry. Perhaps, it's that terrible patty melt with onion rings I ate in the middle of nowhere America, stinking of whiskey, talking too much, and making fun of the waitress. Regardless, it's at least as cool as any of the other trash you slavishly drool over so go buy it ya mook!

- Two Tub Tony

OFFICIAL SITE: myspace.com/blackdahliamurder

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