Tinnitus - Filth, Fit or Thirteen
by Paula
First impressions of the new Tinnitus CD Filth, Fit or Thirteen are that someone’s old man has a heap of cash he doesn’t mind splashing out on the boys. It's eye-catching, professionally pressed and the liner notes are glossy; magazine quality. Of course it could just be the case that Tinnitus have some very good friends. I’m not knocking the lads for having a pretty CD, but true beauty is about what's inside.
The first three seconds of opener Dust set the pace and the drums pick you up like a wave might, tossing you crashing into the track. Like all the tracks it is filled with examples of skilled musicianship, flawless timing and vocal acrobatics. A little too much experimentation going on in Dust - the singer has enviable range but he proves it with far less effort in track two and my favourite, The Author. It’s anthems like these that make Tinnitus capable of making it mainstream. Track 3, Shenting Philth is fucking relentless, both musically and emotionally (cause of death: guitar). As if to soothe away my pain, the next track up is the divine Harmonic, another of their trademark anthems. This song has a Tubular Bells-esque intro and a hint of spiritual chant about it. It gives the album the beauty that emo-fuelled rock should rightfully be drenched in. The final track is Passer. My only complaint is that it's too long – the saying ‘you can’t have too much of a good thing’ is no less bullshit than ‘an apple a day…’. Going mainstream is a turn-off for a lot of metal bands but there’s not so much a sense of rebellion about these guys as there is business opportunity. They want the job and this CD is their CV. If I was the other candidate, I’d be walking back to the job centre.
First impressions of the new Tinnitus CD Filth, Fit or Thirteen are that someone’s old man has a heap of cash he doesn’t mind splashing out on the boys. It's eye-catching, professionally pressed and the liner notes are glossy; magazine quality. Of course it could just be the case that Tinnitus have some very good friends. I’m not knocking the lads for having a pretty CD, but true beauty is about what's inside.
The first three seconds of opener Dust set the pace and the drums pick you up like a wave might, tossing you crashing into the track. Like all the tracks it is filled with examples of skilled musicianship, flawless timing and vocal acrobatics. A little too much experimentation going on in Dust - the singer has enviable range but he proves it with far less effort in track two and my favourite, The Author. It’s anthems like these that make Tinnitus capable of making it mainstream. Track 3, Shenting Philth is fucking relentless, both musically and emotionally (cause of death: guitar). As if to soothe away my pain, the next track up is the divine Harmonic, another of their trademark anthems. This song has a Tubular Bells-esque intro and a hint of spiritual chant about it. It gives the album the beauty that emo-fuelled rock should rightfully be drenched in. The final track is Passer. My only complaint is that it's too long – the saying ‘you can’t have too much of a good thing’ is no less bullshit than ‘an apple a day…’. Going mainstream is a turn-off for a lot of metal bands but there’s not so much a sense of rebellion about these guys as there is business opportunity. They want the job and this CD is their CV. If I was the other candidate, I’d be walking back to the job centre.
