Posted on: March 7, 2010 Posted by: anfnewsacct Comments: 0

Gravity Propulsion System – Get Destroy / 2005 Ascetic / 8 Tracks / http://www.gravitypropulsionsystem.com / http://www.asceticrecords.com / Reviewed 28 October 2005

With equal parts of Misfits and A Wilhelm Screamed mixed together to make some of the smoothest (yet angular) noise pun, Gravity Propulsion use shrill guitar lines to attack their listeners. The first track on the disc “What Can I Say” is much in the same vein as a Locust track, but is expanded to epic proportions (breaking two minutes) before disintegrating and moving into a very Tom (Against Me!) vocalized track in “Mouth”. The instrumentation is really carefully crafted in much of the same way, but the subtle shift in vocal ornamentation completely recontextualizes the band. The ended instrumental parts of this track are nice, allowing individuals to fully get an appreciation to the nuanced style of the band, but Gravity Propulsion System really causes whiplash when they moved into a chant-led, almost-Ramones-sounding groove for the later part of the track.

Interspersing more in the way of long instrumental introductions to tracks like “Do Damage”, Gravity Propulsion System seem to really not move beyond the box created in the disc’s first few tracks. Sure, there are vocals that approximate quotes from movies, but nothing really new and exciting is created after the disc’s first two salvos. The stop-start nature of “Bee Brained” recalls Primus, but without the thick and ropey bass lines to really unite everything. “Sixes And Ones” moves back to slightly-alternative rock of “What Can I Say”, adding a little bit of uncertainty in the drums to link together with the screamed vocals on the track (which find themselves back at the Against Me! Level).

This repetition is not to say that Gravity Propulsion System is not a talented band, but this reluctance to really go into new realms is the largest problem looming over the band during their “Get Destroy”. In fact, during tracks like “Fake Skyline” one will totally dig the tremendous array of arrangements and different sounds washing over them; the disintegration of the track into a chaotic mess is really more of a parable for the hedonist lifestyle as much as it is an unintended coincidence of the music. The driving beat that cuts through the chaos and really allows the band to come back to the forefront is yet another testament to the talent that they exhibit as a band; there is no doubt that Gravity Propulsion System has the chops to be played on college radio the world over. The only thing that holds them back from greater success is a lack of creating something utterly ground-shaking with their time on “Get Destroy”.

Top Track: Sixes and Ones

Rating: 5.0/10

[JMcQ]

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