One of the more mainstream and melodic of Trent Reznor-inspired, industrial/alternative rock bands, Stabbing Westward released their major-label debut with Ungod.
Christopher Hall rages hard, singing over the grinding guitars of Stuart Zechman, the thunderous rhythm section (bassist Jim Sellers and drummer David Suycott), and the drenching keyboards of Walter Flakus.
The songs don't distinguish themselves from each other much, but the tribal drumming and wailing guitars drive some catchy melodies and create a mood.
"Control" is given a shot of adrenaline by the throbbing bassline and the midsection of "Nothing" has an attention-getting, jackhammer riff.
And at moments, like "Lies," the band almost comes across as a less playful White Zombie.
The lyrics range from bleak ("Lost") to bleaker ("Nothing") to bleaker still ("Lies"), but the beat of the music is infectious and kinetic.
As to whether the grimness that permeates Ungod is cathartic or wallowing is subject to individual tastes.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LostChristopher Hall, David Suycott, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 2 | ControlChristopher Hall, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 03:39 | 8 MB | 27 MB |
| 3 | NothingChristopher Hall, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 04:50 | 11 MB | 34 MB |
| 4 | ACFChristopher Hall, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 04:43 | 10 MB | 31 MB |
| 5 | LiesWalter Flakus, Christopher Hall, Jim Sellers, David Suycott, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 04:43 | 10 MB | 30 MB |
| 6 | UngodChristopher Hall, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 07:43 | 17 MB | 50 MB |
| 7 | ThrowChristopher Hall, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 05:24 | 12 MB | 40 MB |
| 8 | Violent Mood SwingsWalter Flakus, Christopher Hall, Jim Sellers, David Suycott, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 05:12 | 11 MB | 36 MB |
| 9 | Red on WhiteStuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 05:20 | 12 MB | 31 MB |
| 10 | Can't Happen HereWalter Flakus, Christopher Hall, Jim Sellers, David Suycott, Stuart Zechman | Stabbing Westward | Play | 08:26 | 19 MB | 45 MB |
| 53 mins | 122 MB | |||||
| 53 mins | 345 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Flakus | Composer, Keyboards |
| 2 | John Fryer | Engineer, Producer |
| 3 | Amy Guip | Photography |
| 4 | Christopher Hall | Composer, Keyboards, Vocals |
| 5 | Ben Hillier | Engineer |
| 6 | Stephen Marcussen | Mastering |
| 7 | Mary Maurer | Art Direction |
| 8 | Jay O'Rourke | Editing |
| 9 | Jim Sellers | Bass, Composer |
| 10 | Stabbing Westward | Primary Artist |
| 11 | David Suycott | Composer, Drums, Percussion |
| 12 | Stuart Zechman | Bass, Composer, Guitar |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |