Foreign Objects - Among Ghosts, By the Sea   

Interesting rock mixed from different eras

Don't confuse The Foreign Objects from Australia with the American death metal band that formed in the nineties; you'll be disappointed as the Australian version performs nothing close to metal. Instead, their E.P. offers dirty rock and roll with a few twists. Opening with "Get Out of My Sun," the grooves are laid down with some pop rock riffs and vocals that mirror that of Jet mixed with Rage Against the Machine and other good nineties bands. They're raw and annoying at times, but help convey the passion of the music altogether. The drums keep an easy tap going throughout the album though they are sometimes hard to hear because the album is very guitar driven. But The Foreign Objects are also apt at including some of the older seventies vibe to their music by incorporating a jazzy piano element on the track on "Broken Preacher." The lyrics and tone of the music still bites like the present era, though. The rest of the music still sounds like the nineties, however. "Crossroads" would have made a great rock instrumental, if the vocals hadn't come in and ruined everything. "The Vampirate" is a mid paced chugger and "Black Rose" is about as close to metal as the band can get with the thick, stoner doom riffs of Sabbath and Ozzy inspirations.

Fans of Scars on Broadway, Wolfmother, and Jet will enjoy this album for its raw, primitive sound and groove, but many may dismiss it as being too edgy. With raw guitar and raw vocals the sound can stab a lot of ears, making their studio albums sound more like harshly produced live recordings from a basement. Perhaps that is what adds to the primitive, emotional groove that drives The Foreign Objects. Their work is good, but sometimes a little too raw for the mainstream world. Fortunately, that's what the underground is for.

(Cross Section/Inertia Music)

Added: April 27th 2010
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Score:
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