PacManY2J's Full Review: Somewhere On The Other Side Of Nowhere * by Powerm...
The Cummings brothers are a quite a pair. While older brother Rob, a.k.a. Rob Zombie, makes horror films along with hard rock that draws heavy influence from campy horror movies, his younger sibling Michael, who goes by the moniker Spider One, spends his time appealing to the more sci-fi side of camp. Though their styles are different, they both end up with the same result: fun, lively metal with a unique twist. Spider's band Powerman 5000 has once again succeeded in delivering an action-packed album with 2009's Somewhere On the Other Side of Nowhere, an energetic collection of metal tunes that just might appeal to the comic book geek inside each of us.
Comic book geek? How does that work with metal? Quite nicely when done by Powerman 5000. Take, for instance, "Super Villain," which references Spiderman nemesis Dr. Doom during a song that is equal parts heavy and catchy. In fact, that's pretty much how most of this album goes. Spider delivers a burly and booming, yet sing-along-worthy roar while the rest of the band backs him up with a beefy kind of rock that's heavy enough for metal fans but agreeable enough for those who aren't into anything too abrasive. Tracks like "Show Me What You Got" and "Horror Show" have the band rocking hard enough to work a crowd into a frenzy yet they pack in tons of hooks to keep these tracks in your brain for a while. Very little of this album can be classified under the "mosh once and discard" category. Of course, this is nothing new for PM5K, but it's good to hear they're still finding fresh ways to keep their standard sound interesting.
One of Somewhere's biggest standouts is "V Is For Vampire." Don't expect any glittery Twilight crap here, though. This is a bad_ss track that will get any rock lover shouting along to the chorus of "V is for vampire / B is for blood!" The title track stands out quite a bit as well because of how different it is from the rest. Using a down-tempo beat that resembles a dripping faucet - don't worry; it's nowhere near as annoying as R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" - "Somewhere On The Other Side Of Nowhere" plods along at a slow and steady pace that highlights a darker side of Spider's singing. On the opposite spectrum, however, are songs like "Do Your Thing" and "Get Your Bones," funky tracks with a dance-metal vibe and vocal hooks that have Spider proving metal isn't always angry or scary; it can be downright cool too.
If you like the band, you're going to want this one. If you're not into them yet, this is a good place to start. While this album doesn't deliver anything spectacular, it's an entirely enjoyable work from start to finish. Powerman 5000 have a knack for creating metal that's spirited, catchy, and just plain fun. Somewhere On the Other Side of Nowhere is no exception.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.