Labels: X-Mist
Review by: Sean Barrett
After a long break the Ex Models have finally recorded a new album, now as a duo with help from Kid Million from Oneida on drums! Six tracks that clock in at about 27 minutes, which is quite a departure from Zoo Psycology with longer songs and more experimenting with electronics. In fact Chrome Panthers takes a really minimalistic sound without loosing any power. This album is a marrige of noise and no wave, if Brian Eno decided to do another No New York compilation Ex Models would be on it for sure! Parts of: Liars, Sonic Youth, Devo, Lightning Bolt, Half Japanese, Throbbing Griste, Arab On Radar and early Boredoms come to mind while listening to this. The first side starts off in a noisy intro than going into a drum explotion with dual vocal shouts along with messy bleeps, leaving you there and thinking what the hell just happend to me?.After that comes a rather interesting rendition of The Birthday Party song, Mutiny in Heaven. Although you probally would not really notice unless you were akin to the information. on the flipside is a longer version of Buy American, which is also on the split 7″ with Holy Molar, that consists of a syth-ish sounding effect with drums and singing. Headlines starts with lyrics about random things in magazines with manic drums and tweaked out guitar sounds like nothing else! The last song Chrome Hearts is a drum heavy song filled with pleanty of feedback and dual vocals. to wrap it up this album is like getting hit with a ton of bricks. Don’t expect it to be anything like Zoo Psycology though, you will love it or loath it. I’m really excited to see what Ex Models have planned for the future!