RPG Review Cooperative, Inc.

Beanflipper, Garden Variety Manic Depressant

Recorded at Apollo Studios, Coburg.

Distributed through Shock Records., 24 High St, Northcote, 3070., 9482-3873

Beanflipper are; Peter Rowley (Guitar & Vocals)., Richard Kelly (Vocals), Matthew Harrod (drums), Sean Barley aka ÔSnowyÕ (Bass)., Craig Webster (guitar)

Sanctimonious., Remove Skin Before Use., It's Only Life., Slow fukin thing., Blinding Sun., Johnny the song., Never want to believe., Mine., Mongrel guts., Bucket o' blood., TrentÕs song., Power of Corruption., Glass eye stare

Beanflipper require no elaborate introduction, having supported several major international acts, being well established with several releases, those who are familair with their rough edge punkish delivery will receive a welcome addition with this latest release.

With punkish growls, quantum chord changes and peformed at breakneck speed, Beanflipper further elaborate a musical style which we've grown to love since the days of the Dead Kennedy's. Unlike that band, whose politico in-your-face lyrics had the right amount of cynicism and the right lack of subtlety to be effective. Well Beanflipper, in this album anyway, go for the mental states, hazy and ethereal, but certainly without fae beauty. The faeries at the bottom of this garden play with razor blades, especially on my personal favourite "It's Only Life".

Track 13 ('Glass Eye Stare') was unnecessary. A rendition between some very silly bleeps and squeks to a Western Soundtrack. Oh hang on. That's dust on the CD-player. No, actually it's really, really good. This should be an theme music for a Western. Along with Beers, Steers and Queers, of course.

Guess I liked all of it. Except for the CD inlay booklet. Very nice graphics, but the lyrics are just a little hard to read. Four point font black on grey? I mean I already wear glasses, do want me to upgrade to a microscope? Have pity on poor reviewers, please!

Ne Ultra Plus, Sampler Review

The Cursed Earth., Hail the King., I am All, I am None., The Ritual Sinister

Justin Mutiner (Vocals)., Katherine Ramon (Bass)., Rafael (Guitar)., Matt Castles (Guitar)., David Ferox (Drums)

Independent release: contact; PO Box 1042, St. Albans, Victoria, 3021

Ach, I was right. My school boy Latin (I started this year) told be the title of this band was 'no more beyond', yet they swear it means 'no further beyond'). Whatever, I'm being pedantic and without context, as the title was used on the far west of the mediterranean sea to describe that there really was nothing beyond that point (except for Atlantis, Annwyvn, and now The Evil Empire (TM)).

Well this band sound evil and imperical, with the sufficient irony attached to such music. "It's metal", I was warned when handed the tape. Really? Like the person handing me the tape isn't 6'5" with well beyond shoulder length hair, dressed all in black with a studded belt. What a surprise, I was expecting country OR western.

Irony? Well, they swear that they are Vampires, no really, they drink BLOOD.

Metal it is, and damn good metal at that. Very much reminds me of Cremator, a reference which only Western Lands skate punks from ten years past would recognise, but there you go. The music is rapid without losing clarity, it attacks without being abrasive, the vocals howl, yet remain comprehensible. Another big plus that must go in their favour is the epic length of their works. No two-minutes fifty nine pop radio classics here, nor are there twenty minute sounds of whale songs. These are works with a story, albeit an angry, bitter, but never, never, a trivial one. There is no doubt these people set themselves high standards, and by and large, they achieve it.

My personal fave on this sampler tape is "Hail The King", which takes great delight in the ritualistic cannabalism of the Eucharist. Not a bad opportunity, really, eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a diety (or part of a diety). ('God? Gorge yourself on the meat. Drink your fill, the wine is sweet'). As for the other pieces, The Cursed Earth is an excellent opener, with just the right tempo to put one in the spirit of the the sounds to come. Earns extra kudos for Robert E. Howard/Conan references. The music of "I am All, I am None", doesn't really move me. Lyrically it was quite grand; self-reflection of the disturbing kind, replete mirror references ('Look, see the argent demon, source of my pain'). which makes it a metal equivalent of Front 242's "Angels" (hmm... metal/industrial fusion seems very apt). "The Ritual Sinister" is a fine concluding work, taking its time to land from this aural halycon thus presented.

BoltThrower were never this good.

Oh, and one more thing. Excellent recording quality, especially for a sampler. I don't know what they diod right, but I hope they keep doing it.