Track listing / Time:

1 Scarecrow 1:42
2 K Y Re:amin 4:49
3 Reuptake 3:40
4 Downtown 4:57
5 Imago 4:20
6 Crackhead Waltz 3:02
7 The Daze 5:14
8 And When 4:27
9 Idle Contact 3:41
10 Exfoliate 5:14
11 For Dusts And Mists 4:37
Total Running Time: 45:43

Credits:
Produced by Martin Atkins
Additional post production by Chris Greene
Mix Engineers: Chris Greene and Scott Ramsayer
Violin on Downtown by Chris Greene
Additional Guitar on And When by Jason McNinch
Dobro guitar on Exfoliate by Jason McNinch
Additional Programming and Keyboards by Lee Bagman Fraser

"Scarecrow" starts this album, and is a complete throw off of how the rest of it sounds. It's basically just Ogre singing with an acoustic guitar. However, I believe I may have come to a conclusion as to why it sounds so different. The credits to the songs in the album say it was written by "s. Barrett", whom I'm assuming is the late ex-Pink Floyd singer, Syd Barrett. Now I know jack shit all about Syd Barrett but my hunch is this song originally sounds something like this possibly.

Next, or the song we all heard at the Invisible Records "Lowest Of The Low" tour (if you were there) that was playing along with the "Ritalin" or "Rx" video was "K Y Re:amin", and most people have said that it resembled "Asphole" (a song from Pigface's "Notes From Thee Underground" release, which Ogre also did the vocals for.) This song is quite straight forward, the usual Mr. Atkins type of percussion and a repetitive bassline to go along with Ogre almost talking the vocals until the chorus (so to say) kicks in, and his voice changes to a semi-screamy style as the percussion speeds up and gets a bit more complex. They do a lot with the vocals on this song, because in parts of this song there are people in the background humming a harmony along with delayed panned bits of rhythm.

After that comes "Reuptake," which is started with Ogre's vocals only and slowly twisted together darker multiple keyboard tracks and basic slow hammering bass kick beat (like from a drum machine.) From there the song progresses into a quicker tempo beat which Mr. Atkins probably crafted and delayed vocals. Watch out for the odd over powering distortion part to help the beat along for about 3 seconds, which is very effective in heightening the climax of the song. It then drops off, almost as if throwing you off a cliff with all parts coming to an abrupt hault except the vocals which continue a quiet-mellow harmony for about 10 seconds ending the song. Not to make another Pigface comparison, but when this song hits full tilt and starts moving, it reminds me of something from the "Fook" era, but the constant changes in the song stray away from the Pigface feel a tad.

"Downtown" follows next, and as you may have guessed it is a cover of the classic song Petula Clark once sung. Of course this version is nothing like the original though, the only similarities being the lyrics and at times them playing the riffs on keyboard, or guitar (which is under some neat effects and sounds awesome). I was very surprised to hear this, knowing the classic song and all, but it defently makes you want to smirk and play it for your parents. One thing that got me also, is that the vocals effects sound very close to the ones used for "Spasmolytic" (a Skinny Puppy song from the album Too Dark Park), minus the distortion. It's good to hear Ogre say "Downtown" once again though, even if it isn't in the same reference.

"Imago" is probably my favourite song of this album. It starts with delayed blunt noises hitting a number of times, and flows peacefully into singing "down in the back and around the corner," while I'm assuming it's Ogre who starts talking about how he "came to a conclusion" and "tasted something sweet." A basic kick drum thumping enters (like from a drum machine) and switches between that and Atkins drumming a straight forward beat. The rhythm stops and the blunt noises come back for a bit, and then you hear a guitar and just Ogre's voice repeating the same lines as earlier, and it all sharply kicks back in. While all this is going on you can hear trails of keyboard sounds. The song drops off once again, while the talking keeps going, as the vocals become loud and you hear "they tent to creep in and they destroy," that rings on delayed as guitar, keyboard and the noises come back and then stop to the guitar ending the song. That description may sound a bit confusing, but you'd have to hear the song to understand what I'm saying, I think.

"Crackhead Waltz" is probably the strangest song on the album. It is a heavy vocal song with bell type keyboard effects. Also, there are noises in the background that give a feel of a record playing backwards (even though that's not what it really is). Basically the whole thing sounds like a demented carnival song with very dark lyrics. A beat kicks in later as Ogre repeats "better off dead," as the song mellows out to quiet vocals repeating the same line, and then the record playing backward type sounds fade out the song. Some of the sounds seem like they would make Coil proud.

"The Daze" follows, beginning with heavy synth type sounds going from high treble to lower bassey EQ changes and Ogre singing. The sounds continue on throughout the song as later the vocals become loud and distorted and seem to be changing different effects while Ogre sings. The voices then divide up as the distorted sounding ones take one part, and the others continue to sing. The sounds then become intertwined with each other into noises which finish the song.

"And When" is another strange song for all the changes that happen in it. A lot of keyboard sounds, vocals and an up beat kick drum enter. More percussion and synth lines join as the song then hits it's climax with guitars overriding everything, and goes to a space-rock type sound with keyboards complimenting the guitars. It ends with a bit of a sample repeated through the whole song of someone saying "are you home. are you there?"

"Idle Contact" is the quickest paced song on the album. It's got a straight forward Atkin's style drumming, guitar, and keyboard sounds as Ogre's voice navigates the song. The biggest changes in this song are that parts take turns and become stronger then others. Later in the song many other vocal track come in to accompany the main ones, and the song ends. A pretty basic song, but great none the less.

"Exfoliate" is after that. It begins with a loop fading in, keyboards and quicker paced drum machine bits following. It mellows out a bit, with warm bass hums and Ogre singing and gets crazy from there with loud distorted noises (complimented with Ogre screaming) interrupting the vocals, joined by a clean sounding guitar. The vocals go through different effect changes, as the noises follow sparatically. It all gets mellow once again, with just the vocals, then starts up with backwards Atkin style druming. The madness stops once again as the loops that started the song ends it.

The final song "For Dusts and Mists" which actually starts at the end of "Exfoliate" and continues onto the 11th track is one of the most interesting songs on the album. The song to me sounds like someone eating cereal under a lot of delay effects. I could be wrong, but it defently resembles that. It then moves onto a dark sounding piano playing along with it, and mixing into quicker tempoed electronic sounding synth lines. A very loud distorted trebally noise flows in with mild percussion for the apex, making the song seem relaxing yet chaotic, and then stops sharply, as the mellow piano and cereal eating delay sounds slowly die off. The dark sounding piano plays on for a bit and then fades out as a gentle noise hits and then the album finishes.

...And that's all folks.

One similarity I've noticed in most of these songs is that there seems to have been a lot of playing around in the studio. The way they mess with the rhythm on most tracks is in the same vein as how they do it on "A New High In Low" (the newest Pigface album). There is also a fetish on this album (which I love, I must add) with delaying the percussion and vocals at points, which makes the song flow really well and sound more dynamic. They also seem to have doubled up on most of Ogre's vocals. The vocals are a very main piece of the music, sometimes it seems like the music was made around them, and why shouldn't it, they're great! Interesting to say the least.

The artwork lines the whole album, it's a digipack case. The cover has a rectangle with "Rx" and "bedside toxicology" which is a bit off center and text that you can't read behind it. All this is lying on a dark brownish black blurred picture of a little girl (or at least, that's what it seems to be). It is very Dave McKean looking (see Front Line Assembly's - Hardwired, or the newer Download releases). I also believe some of the figures in the pictures are Ogre. Also, behind the CD tray there is a red medical X, with a wacky collage. My only problem with it is that no lyrics are included, but then again it's not very hard to make out the words, so maybe that's why they chose not to include them.

I'm not going to put a rating on this, but it's a solid all around album and the production is great. It is defenetly worth buying and big Ogre / Atkins fans might even like it more that I have.

Ogre and Martin Atkins are going to be doing a North America wide (and possibly even beyond) meet and greet session just after the release of this album. No dates or places are fully confirmed as of yet, but here is what has been planned.

location's removed. why? 'cause they're not accurate.

Bye Bye,
Chris O'Toole
Invisible Rep. Extraordinaire