Album Review: 2wo - Voyeurs

 

You might need the Painkiller after this one...

Greeting devoted readers, and welcome back to Rave Up Music! I am your host Barius, and for the second time this year, I ended up with computer problems that have delayed this blog, and for that I am sorry for having all of you wait as I fix this issue. But, all issues have been taken care of, so now I can get back to work on this blog. And for today blog, let us talk about musicians who try to reinvent themselves within their genre.

In the heavy metal community, there seems to be this stigma against artists who try to do something new to their music. If a band tries to add a breath of fresh air to their sound, the fans like to cry foul, and like to say they have “sold out.” Some  prime examples include Metallica adding acoustic instruments on Ride the Lightning, or even as recent as the recent Korn album, The Path of Totality, in which the band adds a bit of dub-step to their music.

…Huh. I might need to look at that album a little more closely another time…

 

Anyway, the point I am try to say is that the metal brotherhood has a hard time dealing with change, hence why there are a few bands out there who are consistent in their sound, and rarely deviate away from what their fans want.

Rest in Peace, Jeff…

However, there are times that some bands need to let their creative juices flow, and try to play music that makes them happy, even if it means playing music from a completely different genre.

Okay, bad example…but still…

However, as a community, we metalheads will welcome change in a band or artist’s sound if it is good one, and still can give us that pumped up attitude we thrive on. With all of that said, there are times that we metalheads know when the “musical expression” a band or metal musician does is a true misdirection, and we pull a Captain Jean-Luc Picard on them.

And perhaps, one of the weirdest changes in music comes from the legendary heavy metal frontman, Rob Halford.

After leaving the world-renowned heavy metal band Judas Priest in 1992, Rob Halford jumped around to different music projects, including the moderately successful band Fight, which combines the classic metal sound with the edgier sounds of bands like Pantera. But, to this day, the most bizarre musical venture that Halford has done was his foray into the genre of industrial metal with the band, 2wo (yes, it is pronounced “two”).

Halford teamed up with guitarist John Lowery, who many of you know as John 5 of Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie fame, to produce an album mixing Halford’s vocals with the electronic elements of industrial rock. To accomplish this sound, they hired Trent Reznor’s Nothing Records to produce the album. In 1998, 2wo released the album Voyeurs¸ which turned out to be the only album the band would release. The album was a commercial failure and the band dissolved not too long after that.

Even though it did not sell very well, it makes me wonder: is Voyeurs by 2wo a bad album? Well, let us take a listen and find out.

THE ALBUM COVER:

Before I get into the album cover itself, I need to address the title of the album, Voyeurs. From the French work meaning “one who looks,” a voyeur is a person who gets pleasure of watching people perform in very intimate or private activities (I will let your own imaginations run wild on that one). The key thing about this act of voyeurism in that the people being watch are unaware they are being watched by someone, as the voyeur does not interact with the subjects being viewed, and usually does this act is a secret location. To put it in modern terms, it is a “Peeping Tom."

So, based on that information, the album cover suggests that Halford and company are watching you privately while you are riding the subway. Um…okay…As for the cover itself, it is a bit bizarre, and does not really tell a lot about what I might be getting into when listening to this album. I do like the image of Halford on the front cover, though I am wonder what or who he is watching…or maybe I should not ask…

THE TRACKS:

“I Am A Pig”

Well, if that is not the greatest title for a song ever, I do not know what is. All joking aside, this is a decent track. The songs main riff has a nice groove to it that propels the song forward, and some of the electronic samples blend nicely with the guitar and other real instruments. If there is a downside to the song, it is the lyrics, which are too vague and does not suggest what theme of the song is. However, judging by the title of both the song and the album, I will take a guess and say it had something to do with Halford watching people in private, and being perverted about it. Halford’s vocal work is very restricted here, and does not display his vocal abilities. However, it is the first track, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it will improve in the later songs.

“Stutter Kiss”

This is a little bit more laid back, but still has that industrial edge to it. Unfortunately, that is the only thing I like about this track. The song follows a very basic rock formula of intro-verse-chorus-verse-chorus-breakdown-chorus, and does not really try to deviate from that formula or add something different to each section. Like “I Am A Pig,” Halford’s vocals lack energy and does not display is musical chops. As for the lyrics, what does a broken record playing Halford’s favorite song have to do with a stutter kiss? Heck, what the heck is a stutter kiss? Would that be stuttering while you are kissing? I imagine that would not be a fun make-out session. Overall, “Stutter Kiss” is a song that lacks energy and excitement.

“Water’s Leaking”

The drumbeat at the beginning has a nice groove to it, and once the rest of the instrumental parts kick it, the song has a nice dance feel to it, like something you would hear in a club when you need a nice, slow jam song to dance to. I actually like how Halford uses in the lyrics of “water’s leaking” as an analogy of crying and drowning in our sorrows and fear, and how we have to keep our heads afloat through hard times. That, or it is a about a leaking faucet. 

Riveting…

“My Ceiling’s Low”

Honestly, I have no idea what the heck kind of message this song is trying to get across, with the exception of his actually ceiling is being low, and seeing as Rob Halford is only 5 feet 11 inches tall, it means his roof is probably collapsing in on him. Yet, the lyrics really do not suggest this at all:

I’d like to offer you a drink

Don’t mind if it goes down the sink

Don’t hesitate

Don’t even look

I know what’s floating

In my soup

What does that even mean? Actually, given the title of the album…ew…

“Leave Me Alone”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AERt8EX8FrU

(The video would not embed for some reason)

This one is a pretty good track. There is sort of a Middle-Eastern feel throughout the song that really gives a good dance feel to it. Though Halford’s range is limited on this one, it works well with the arrangement of the song. Honestly, there is not a lot to say about this song. It is a good track, and one I recommend from this album.

“If”

“If” you think “If” is a good title for this song, then you would be very wrong. “If” you think a better title for the song is something “If I Only Cared about This Song,” then you would be on the right track. Honestly, I have no idea what they are trying to accomplished musically or lyrically on this song. There are some interesting musical ideas going on in here, but I feel like they are not fully developed, and really do not push the song forward. It is “If” they had no idea where they wanted to go with the song, and abruptly, the song just ends, leaving you wondering “If” there was more to it. Okay, enough of the “IF” jokes…

“Deep in the Ground”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27q8a6m813o
(Again, the video would not embed. Just follow the link)

Right away, the drums set-up a nice little groove to the song, and once Halford’s vocals kick in, you are entranced by the song. From what I can gather from the lyrics, it is about be true to yourself, and finding your place in the ground, or other words, this world. It may seem scary at first, but you will fit right in to who you really are. The sounds they used in music blend nicely together, and work well throughout the sound. I especially like the outro, as it just grooves and fades out. Though, it is not the mostly complicated song, “Deep in the Ground” is a nice entry on the album.

“Hey Sha La La”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTKhZjG_maY

This is a ridiculously catchy song, especially the chorus. However, it is a rather simple, repetitive song, and does not take a lot of risks in the samples and electronic sounds. It comes off to me as being “ALBUM FILLER.” To me, the song is worth one, maybe two listening before you can just skip it when it comes up on your mp3 player, or if you are old school, on your compact disc copy.

Yes, these DO still exists…barely…

“Gimp”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMP5Mb6KGpc

I think there is a recurring theme throughout all of the songs on this album. Though there are good tracks here and there, the rest of the songs are pretty bland for industrial metal. However, with the song “Gimp,” I feel that 2wo are overcomplicating things. The song has a lot of sounds and bits in the background that are competing too much with the vocals, and it is a bit grating on the ears. Honestly, it is another song to skip.

“Bed of Rust”

With the last track of the album, Halford and company try to end the album on what seems to be a more serious note. The song builds up from suspenseful strings and other electronic sounds with Halford quietly singing before the drumbeat kicks in. Once the tempo kicks in, my interest in the song fades, for like a lot of other songs on this album, the ideas presented are not well-developed, creating an unfocused sound in the music. Halford’s vocals are very restricted, and still do not demonstrate the abilities that Halford has. Sadly, the end of the song is anti-climatic, and ends the album on not a very high note.

OVERALL IMPRESSION:

As a fan of both Rob Halford and John 5, I was very excited to hear the kind of music the two of them would make together. Both musicians have a lot of respect in their respected areas of metal, so collaborating together would have resulting in a stellar album. Sadly, Voyeurs as a whole is not exactly an industry changing album.

While there are some good songs here and there, as an industrial metal album, it is too generic and does not really stand out among the dozens of industrial album being released at the time. The electronic sounds and musical ideas used throughout most of the sounds either do not blend well together, or they are under-developed. The guitar riffs of John 5 are not that memorable, and will not really leave you humming or air guitar-ing along to them. Perhaps the biggest issue with this album is how limited Rob Halford’s singing is. With the range and ability that Rob Halford is known for, he sounds like he is using maybe a fifth of his range and power. The singing on the album is a far-cry from his work with Judas Priest, and really feels like there is very little effort in them.

As mentioned in the beginning of this blog post, 2wo’s first and only effort in the industrial metal was not a very successful one and the band disbanded not too long after Voyeurs was released. John 5 continued to have success in various other bands, most recently with Rob Zombie. Rob Halford returned back to his musical roots with his own solo group, known as Halford. By 2003, Halford returned to playing with Judas Priest, and continues to perform with them, as well as release new albums with his solo group.

As an industrial album, 2wo’s Voyeurs had a lot of potential to be a good one, and could have been a standard album found in every metalhead’s album collection. However, it lacks a lot of the musical elements that has made groups like Nine Inch Nails or Marilyn Manson successfully in the music industry. If you are a fan of Rob Halford and/or Judas Priest, I do recommend checking it out to see what Halford could have potential be doing today instead of Priest. As a casual metal music listener, it is worth checking out, but really only once, maybe twice.

Well, that brings us to the end of another Rave Up Music review. Come back again next time as we consume “A Little Slice of Metal.” Until then, I am Barius, and as always, keep on rockin’.

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