24.5.10

Metro: Pendulum - Immersion LP Review



Here's my review of Pendulum's third LP Immersion, which ran in today's Metro. The track above, VAult, is from the first LP... The video's hilarious. Enjoy


Pendulum: Immersion (TWO STARS)
Warner

Electronic dance music albums can often feel like a battle between man and machine (as well as dancefloor and living room), and so it is with bedroom d&b producers turned stadium-rock & bass band, Pendulum.

Following two platinum-selling albums, Immersion sees Pendulum’s develop their human side with songs and Rob Swire growing into his mantle as lead singer. Guests vocalists include undisputed king of combining punk rock attitude with dance music energy, The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett, Swedish metallers In Flames and Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson.

However Immersion’s stand-out moments are either instrumental, or feature a sprinkling of vocals: Salt In The Wounds is a punishing fusillade of high frequency, electro bass and titanium beats. It evokes 2005 high point Vault and is testament to Pendulum’s ability to crank out bangers bristling with intensity and bounce, and unite dancefloors and mosh pits as one.

Set Me On Fire is spaghetti-Western tinged dubstep featuring laser blasts, haunting wind instrument and Auto-tune reggae chorus, while The Island Part II’s a cheery, zig-zagging synth jam. Liam Howlett’s turn on the head-banging Immunize roars wildness and charisma, and inadvertently highlights Immersion’s failings.

Swire’s song writing comes across as heavy-handed and earnest, and his delivery fails to match the gusto of Pendulum’s trademark high-octane, pounding production. At 15 tracks and 67 minutes Immersion feels flabby, while moments such as the turbo-charged Crush breaking into an acoustic guitar, singer/songwriter outro, and The Island Part I’s plodding trance and shoe-gazing musings, are confusing.

There’s no doubt Pendulum are masters of forging churning d&b bangers, however as the quartet swings towards songs, their shock and awe subsides.