(Avant-Garde/Gothic/Death/Jazz/Experimental) Pin-Up Went Down (ex-Penumbra, ex-Carnival in Coal) - 2Unlimited - 2008, WAVPack (image + .cue), lossless

Pin-Up Went Down is a two person collaboration between ex-Wormfood/Carnival in Coal drummer Alex Damien and female vocalist Asphodel (Penumbra, Howdy Effect). Unfortunately the album has the worst title ever, and seems to be designed to fool 2 Unlimited fans into buying it. 2 Unlimited is blazed across the album cover, next to a small "by" Pin Up Went Down. 2 Unlimited introduces itself with a little girl singing about monsters in her bed, before Asphodel's superb operatic vocals take control and bring the song into more mature territory. Pin Up sounds like a very well composed modern gothic rock band. Generically so. The atmospheric synth takes you to a midnight forest. Deathly male growls darken the tone as the album tears through the branches, leading deeper into a pitch black cave.
As the slow riffing builds, Asphodel's backing vocals kick in, the strobe lights in the cave flash on and off to the pounding industrial beat and " Unlimited explodes. Pin Up Went Down have taken a blender approach to music, throwing in the very best of all styles of alternative metal and spitting out pure apocalyptic party fuel. Death metal crashes head on with funk, KMFDM style big beats smash head to head against the duel vocal attack and wondrous tempo changes leave you with barely enough time to catch your breath before sending you berserk with the next head banging chorus.
Stand out track (which should be a massive club hit if they can get the promotion) "Nearly Dead Bat Make Up" has precision processed guitar riffs roaring out with the tasteful cheerleader chants "Be Obscene! B-E Aggressive!". Pin-Up not only pay tribute to some major influences, but are bold enough to kick a little sand in Mr Manson's eye for his blatant rip off of the Faith No More classic. All this in the first minute before the song kicks into Mr Bungle funk and flips around on itself into a Gossip tinged verse. Definitely the best track on their myspace site.
Pin Up are not afraid to experiment with an eclectic mix of sounds and styles, with songs bouncing between death metal, techno, indie and crazy circus tunes in a manner Mr Bungle, MSI and SOAD fans will adore. Asphodel is a master of everything she lets loose on this album and while comparisons to avant-garde mentalists Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum are obvious, Pin Up keep everything tight and poppy, never letting songs become self indulgent prog.
For a band who deliver pop, metal, gospel, funk, soul and more in the first 4 songs of an album, Pin Up gave me a welcome boot in the sack with 2 Unlimited. It's an astonishing debut. The excellent production showcases Damien's skills as much as his musicianship. Damien not only plays all instruments in the album (drums, guitar, bass, keyboards and samples) but also mixed and produced the entire thing by himself. Asphodel's vocals are the strongest and most varied I've heard in a metal band. All this from a partnership who only met twice before the album was recorded. I can't recommend this highly enough, so the real question is can they get a band together who are as accomplished as themselves and hit the road with their unique party vibe? I can't wait to find out!