Combichrist - What The Fuck Is Wrong With You People?

Label: Out Of Line
Catologue Number: OUT 253 | OUT 254
Format: CD
Date: 2007
Style: EBM / Futurepop
Rating: 1/10
Reviewer: Mr Flibble

For the impatient among you I'll sum up this entire CombiChrist review in two words:

"Derivative shite".

For those of you wanting more I'll continue.

Starting with the thankfully brief "5am (after party)" which is nothing more than a scene setting piece built from a cheesy, sorry I mean "disturbing", film sample we move swiftly onto the album's title track "What the fuck is wrong with you people?". I fear that I will be asking CombiChrist and their fan base the very same question later on. Taking the worst of 90's techno and adding possibly the most repetitive vocal line of "Hey you what the fuck is wrong with you?"shouted through distortion, what feels like 200 times, we move swiftly on to Electrohead. With what can only be described as a sub par Nitzer Ebb track with a dated hard-style techno feel we're treated to the word "Electrohead" being shouted more times than I could be bothered to count. Surely there are plenty of things that rhyme with "Electrohead"? For example,"Double bed" springs (pun intended) immediately to my mind.

Moving swiftly on once again we're treated to "Adult Content". Thankfully CombiChrist somehow manage to control themselves and avoid using cheesy porn film samples, which I was expecting, instead providing us with what could've been a weak b-side for 242's seminal Front By Front album. It's difficult to even take the next track, "Fuck That Shit", even remotely seriously. Until this point I didn't think I'd ever actually hear what I can ony describe as whiny teenage angst Emo vocals coupled with the worst combination of Industrial and Rave I've ever experienced.

Taking their advice I say "Fuck *this* shit" and press the next button on my CD player."Brain Bypass" is an unusual way to describe what I'm beginning to feel I now need to truly enjoy this album. Mind you any band that samples the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" has got to be cool and cyber right? It's not like that's been done before nearly twenty years ago is it? "Deathbed" treats us to some generic Industrial that we've all heard, I dread to think how many times, since 1990. All this track does is highlight one of the many weaknesses of the album, the vocals. As a vocalist if you're not a natural shouter just don't bother. "In the pit" Oh great. A bad Covenant style track with EMO vocals. Next!

"Shut up and swallow" teases us by opening with a nice distorted 909 kick thumping away. It's familiar territory for the Industrial scene but don't let it get your hopes up. The vocals and especially their content are absolutely laughable.Maybe if I was 13 I'd think they were cool but unfortunately for this track I'm not. Ten tracks in and my finger hovers over the stop button on my CD player. Through gritted teeth I push myself on. "Red" Nothing exciting happening here, move along. Pumping gay disco beats kick in with dated techno leads for "Are You Connected?". There is also more shouting.

Keeping the gay disco theme going we move on to "Give Head If You Got It". Being a receiver and not a giver in this matter this cheery gay disco tune fails to convince me to alter my perspective on the subject matter. The giving of head will still remain firmly in the domain of Mrs Flibble. Showing their cutting edge relevance CombiChrist's final track is titled "All Your Bass Belongs To Us". (Stop laughing at the back!) Ageing Nitzer Ebb basslines are coupled with tired 303 lines to provide an apt finale to the album.

Combining dreadful vocal repetition, laughable EMO subject matter and highly derivative song writing, I dread to think how many bags of pills your average cyber e-head needs to gain enjoyment this album. I NEVER want to hear this band again.