ALL GONE DEAD
Fallen & Forgotten
Label: Strobelight
5/10
All Gone Dead offer a death rock recycling of their 80's batcave idols on their debut "Fallen & Forgotten".
More 80's than
a Rubik's Cube collector on VH-1, All Gone Dead pillage their idols for a
sound but fall short of an identity.
"Newspeak (Room 101)" is built around a Talk Talk style synth melody
and a bass line that encroaches the Cure's "A Forest". "Just
80 Miles West" sounds like Johnny Lydon snarling his vocals over a bed
of pre-Budgie era Siouxsie And The Banshees.
"The Holy City Of Karbala" moves up the decades by using Rob Zombie's
"Never Gonna Stop" to spout lyrics about Iraq. None of these songs
are filled out enough to give All Gone Dead a unique identity rather they
sound like 80's emulators.
Things get better when All Gone Dead move beyond their parents Cure cassettes
and inject the proceedings with some punk energy. Increasing the speed of
the songs help three of "Fallen &Forgotten" songs move closer
to their own identity.
"Sundays Went Mute" isn't a whiplash pace, but rather a Misfits
paced death rocker that yearns to be played live. "Skritch 'N' Skrill"
allows All Gone Dead a bit of musical mischief by incorporating an Iron Maiden
style guitar solo into a song that features snarling vocals and Adam And The
Ants style rythyms. "Cedric Krane" moves beyond death rock and into
oi! territory with its sing-along chorus, but no oi! band would ever use saxophones.
The fast songs allow All Gone Dead to move beyond idolatry and come closer
to their own identity. But three songs fall short of an MCD no less a full
length CD. Which is the problem.
"Fallen & Forgotten" feels half written and unfinished. As if
more time in the writing and rehearsing would have turned the spartan sketches
into full fledged songs with their own identity.
As it stands All Gone Dead don't move past the inspiration of Siouxsie, The
Cure, Adam And The Ants, The Birthday Party and Christian Death. All eyes
towards the follow up after they have toured Europe and road tested themeslves
as a three piece.
Michael Wozny, 25 May 2006