Death In Vegas - The Contino Sessions

Label: Concrete
Catologue Number: HARD41CD
Format: CD
Date: 1999
Style: Alternative / Electronica / Post Rock
Rating: 8/10
Reviewer: Sidney James

Death In Vegas’s first album Dead Elvis was a mixed bag of styles. With music ranging from dance to dub to hard edged rock. The Contino Sessions sees Death in Vegas working around a more focussed sound, a dark psychedelic music closer to the sound of sixties proto-punk bands like MC5 and The Stooges and the Seventies Kraut rock bands like Can than the big beat/electronica scene that they had been previously associated with. (Mainly due to Richard Fearless' DJing at the legendary Heavenly Social).

Richard Fearless has moved Death in Vegas's sound in a more concentrated direction. This works as the Contino Sessions comes across as stronger album than Dead Elvis. The album kicks off in fine form, with the aptly name Dirge, where the sound of a wall of guitars meetings the angelic voice of Dot Allison. The simple La.la, la refrain of the song maybe simple but the effect is stunning and also unnerving at the same time.

The next track Death Threat maintains the feeling of foreboding and dark nature of the album. It is the track Aisha penned with Iggy Pop that really shows the new direction that Death in Vegas has moved in. It's combination of pure rock and roll dynamic and Iggy's serial killer narrative, prove that Death In Vegas are a greater rock band than most of the contemporary indie rock bands out there.

The Contino Sessions is however not just about pure rock n' roll blow out. Tracks like Neptune City and Flying have a more spatial feel, recalling the best dub and krautrock mixed with the later sounds of post rock. These tracks prove that Fearless can produce music than is higher inventive and experimental without coming across as contrived are deliberately avant-garde and humourless.

The Contino sessions is a must have purchase for anyone interested in hearing the outer limits of contemporary rock. A truly unique album for produced by an outstanding talent.