Phil Dirt - Reverb Central - PO Box 1609, Felton, CA 95018-1609 USA Dr. Frankenstein - The Cursed Tapes
 | This six song EP from 2005 sports just two notable tracks. Mostly riff rock and/or rockabilly backtrack-like music. The two bright spots are pretty cool. |
Picks: Cat's Eyes, Necrofago, O Cerebro do Morto, Emergency Exit, Theme For 'The Mad Thinker', Have You Seen It?
Track by Track Review
Cat's Eyes Surf (Instrumental)
"Cat's Eyes" is a riff rocker with some reverb that rises gradually as it progresses. It's Ventures-like in some ways, and the quite minimal.
Surf (Instrumental)
Rockabilly rhythm and nervous guitar riffs keep this otherwise very simple riff rocker from falling off the chart. It's definitely the sort of thing that normally required a vocal or melody over the top.
Surf (Instrumental)
Sultry tribal drums and atmospheric reverb give "O Cerebro do Morto" a sense of exotic places. The melody is pretty minimal, but there's something in the sound that's compelling.
Emergency Exit Surf (Instrumental)
The melody riff is spy-ish, but doesn't rise about being a repetitive riff. The song conveys some darkness, but is not very compelling. Where's the "Emergency Exit?"
Theme For 'The Mad Thinker' Surf (Instrumental)
This is kind of a spaghetti western song with great drums and dangerous emotions. It's a powerful and rhythmic piece with driving second guitar and moody ambiance. While pretty simple, it's very effective, and quite visual. The bent note section is strangely compelling.
Have You Seen It? Surf (Instrumental)
A distant funeral drum and island guitar paint a sad picture of unhappy times in paradise. Very moody, with a bit of evolving activity, but not enough to bear repeated listening.