Feverdreams: Words And Music

Feverdreams
Words and Music
Fitual
2007-07-11

This record is a strange one, not for the faint of heart but for those who think Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music is a masterpiece. Using words by the likes of Richard Dawkins and Bill Hicks to Albert Camus and Werner Herzog, Feverdreams are great at building slow drones as is the case with “Words and Music by Albert Camus”, a sonic sludgefest if there ever was one. Ominous and dark, Feverdreams keep this thread going on “Crawling Back In” with its minimal effects but eerie tension structuring the piece. The material runs from two-minute tidbits to elongated songs but rarely veers from the same pace and feel, almost like you’re walking down a dark alley waiting for someone or something to spring from the shadows. Think of Nine Inch Nails doing their own version of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and this might be the end result, particularly on “Blue Eyes” with the music front and centre but voices off in the distance. The first strays into rock territory is with “Words and Music by Bill Hicks” but isn’t anything special. Highlights are few but “Thanksgiving” rises to the occasion over its five and a half minutes. The biggest hurdle is some of this album is too monotonous, sounding like eerie elevator music the longer it goes on…and on….and on.

RATING 5 / 10