Misguided by Argyle Park (Review)

Let me prelude this review by saying that I don’t really like techno and I don’t really like metal. Argyle Park’s debut CD is both at the same time… and it rocks! A head-on collision of techno-rave and speed metal with wonderful results. They somehow manage to blend these two diverse genres into a very listenable whole. It sure is nice to have a nice dose of originality around here…

The CD starts off with Jim Thirwell of Foetus with a spoken word intro that then leads into a techno-death fusion. From there they bounce all over the spectrum, mostly staying somewhere in the techno-metal realm, but also successfully venturing into the spoken word and ambient arenas. Guest appearance by members of Prong, Drown, Circle of Dust, and a host of others help keep up the diversity.

Pretty much every song here is great in its own right, but standouts include “Misanthrope” and “Scarred for Life,” which includes great, melodic vocals. Other neat little highlights can be found on two of the album’s five hidden tracks. One is a vocal experimentation of some strange sort, done on what sounds like a hand-held recorder. The other is a recorded conversation between two of the band members as they work through the songwriting process. Highly interesting.

This effort definitely goes on my list for the year’s best and most innovative CDs. Deserves to be big.

Written by Carson Pierce. This review originally appeared on the Flaming Fish Music website.