This new release from Dinocore/Disastercore 4 piece Down I Go is very much a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it affair. Clocking in at 5 minutes and 49 seconds and containing just 4 tracks, it’s an incredibly short-sharp burst of robotic noise rock. Let’s take a listen……
T-1000
Robert Patrick as T-1000 in Terminator 2 was terrifying. Imagine you’re John Connor, a good-looking rebel that plays by his own rules, constantly pissing people off with your youthful hi-jinks, when suddenly BAM! This fucker starts chasing after you in a truck cab and you have to rely on the Governor of California to save your skin. Now imagine that this shape-shifting cyborg has cornered you; the soundtrack to your swift and sudden demise would no doubt be soundtracked by this little ditty. A Brutal, uncompromising, fight-in-a-steel-mill metal attack, showcasing Down I Go‘s truly barbaric and sledge-hammer-like nature. Vocalist Pete sounds as if his words have been force-fed through some distorted, scrambled radio, whilst the rest of the band drag the most sludge-drenched riffs and robotic blasts of sound from their battle-worn instruments.
R5 D4
Amazingly, R5-D4 was the original droid that Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen was going to purchase before it malfunctioned (they don’t make them like they used to) not a very good start for a minor Star Wars droid, eh? On this track, an ode to the somewhat unlucky robot, DIG’s schizophrenic vocal attack is just about audible (cries of “Luke Skywalker!” are heard through the distressed squeals of noise from Alan’s guitar.) The System of a Down shrieks are apparent, spraying across this minute or so of musical oddballism like a malfunctioning sub machine gun.
ED-209
ED 209, possibly the worst robot ever? It malfunctioned constantly during the Robocop films and it looks a bit like a car stuck on to the legs of an AT-ST walker. Utter bobbins. Anyway, stupid designs aside; let’s look at the audio effects used in the film. Apparently, a jaguar’s growl played backwards was used as the robot’s own battle cry in the first film and vocalist Pete seems to be trying to intimidate this on the 3rd track of this EP. His relentlessly barking mad screams and wails show how versatile he is as when it comes to random bouts of insane noise. This is all backed up nicely by an incredibly disjointed jazz-metal soundscape that would make even Robocop shit his pants.
Mecha-Godzilla
Imagine these things:
Flamethrower
Lazer Eye Beams
Missile Claws
Electrical Beam
Forcefield
Mega Buster
Plasma Grenade
Maser Ray
Absoloute Zero Cannon.
Vs
Atomic breath/ray
Nuclear Pulse
Enhanced regeneration
Spiral Fire Ray
Magnetic manipulation
You’re now somewhere along the lines of what the track “Mecha- Godzilla‘ sounds like.
Verdict? Down I Go might just well be the greatest UK metal band ever. A hard-working, incredibly talented and very versatile band that deserve your attention. ‘This Is Robotcore‘ is a very brief glimpse of what the band has to offer, but it’s one that doesn’t disappoint. Full marks to the robots, now roll on Tyrantcore!
(‘This Is Robotcore‘ can be bought from the band’s myspace page for 2 english pounds and a few pence for packaging. ‘This Is Disastercore’ is available from Undergroove Records and all stores that have taste in good music.)
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Junior Vice President of Keep It Fast. In other news: I work in social media, talk about dinosaurs, run a book club and have amazing facial hair. I am also a male man who is still not dead.
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