(10.31.06) I have to admit I bought this mainly for completism –I just missed the latest Hospitality, but I own every other CD V-Snares has released during the years (that’s 17). I didn’t rate Meathole as much as some previous albums, and even if this Cavalcade Of Glee And Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms doesn’t sound fresh and exciting like the first, shocking works, it features many interesting tunes.
The opening “Donut” shows clearly that the leitmotiv on this record is a bit of acid added to the trademark beat mangling, this time based also on classic drum machine sounds. Don’t think this is a sort of Detroit album though, it sounds just like what you’d expect from what you heard in the past. “Pwntendo,” apart from the excellent pun, is one of the highlights here, with a marvelous baroque 8-bit arrangement over frantic rhythm packed with any kind of percussion. “XIII’s Dub” is indeed dubby, but in the weird interpretation found in “Marty’s Tardys.” Now prepare yourself for the assault of “Vache,” the song that clearly inspired Arnold AS1 for the amazing cover: ‘this is a machine for making cows’ is spelled on top of a thunderstorm of drums of infinite complexity and immeasurable BPM, surely one of my favorite Snares tunes that reminds me of Infolepsy and Chocolate Wheelchair.
The second half of Cavalcade… is somewhat less entertaining, it’s more melodic and melancholic but it sounds out of focus; “Tache” is sparkling enough to attract the listener, but it’s a bit too long and repetitive, while the other tracks simply fade away leaving a vague memory. That said, it depends on you whether to grab this release or not: if you’re already done with V-Snares because you think he’s doing the same old thing, then pass it on, while if you’re a die-hard fan then you’ve probably worn out your copy.
Cavalcade Of Glee And Dadaist Happy Hardcore Pom Poms is out now on Planet Mu. Buy it at Amazon.com
