Of Death

Build a Bridge and Get Over It (2003)

Katie

Don't get me wrong, I am really into the fast paced, electronic, hardcore music right now. Actually I have been into it for a while, but Of Death's newest album "Build a Bridge and Get Over It" is not doing it for me.

The first two songs are very hard to discriminate between. They sound almost exactly the same, with vocals (if that's what you call them), that seem to take more of a background accompaniment than a stance in the music. The style is similar to those of Melt Banana, but not as pronounced. All eight tracks run together and add up to just over 15 minutes- a short album, with no real closure or theme.

I found the high points of the album to be in the skill of the drummer, GB Watson. Fast, raw, and thrashing are the words that come to mind when I try to describe them. The drummer alone would be reason enough for me to check out a live show. There are also a few guitar riffs that seem to have a metal edge, which caught my attention. There are some impressive bass lines as well played by Josh Wrinkle. I think musically, Of Death sounds the best in their track, "This Shit is Fucked". It is apparent there is a lot of individual talent between the musicians, but the arrangements on this album and lack of cohesiveness seem to hold it back.

I've noticed a trend in the titles of tracks in many of the hardcore/post punk bands recently. They are all so damn funny. Half of the amusement in listening to bands such as The Locust or Arab on Radar is reading the titles of their tracks. Of Death has a few that I found to be particularly amusing, "Concrete Socks Build Underwater Castles", "This Shit is Fucked", and "Pin the Toetag on the Corpsey" were among my favorites.

Overall, this album in not in the top of its class. I don't foresee myself listening to it frequently, but if you are a fan of bands such as Melt Banana, Acrid, and Septic Death, you may find yourself enjoying Of Death more than I did.