CoC : Charger - Confessions of a Man (Mad Enough to Live Amongst Beasts) : Review

Charger - _Confessions of a Man (Mad Enough to Live Amongst Beasts)_
(Peaceville, 2003)
by: Pedro Azevedo (7 out of 10)

It is undeniable that a smart title and suggestive cover art go a considerable way to increasing one's appetite for perusing the CD inside, and while Charger have little of the latter, they do have a significant bit of the former. _Confessions of a Man (Mad Enough to Live Amongst Beasts)_ may not be as musically complex and thought-provoking as its title seems to indicate, but the man's confessions certainly come out hard as nails and black as tar. Recorded in Wales by Billy Anderson (Eyehategod, Neurosis, Sleep), Charger's punkish sludge sounds every bit as heavy as those names indicate. And if you want more name-dropping, this band from Stoke on Trent will be touring Europe in support of Today Is the Day this year. Back to _CoaM(MEtLAB)_, you will find a live feeling mainly coming up in between songs that may not be to everyone's liking, but the massive sound should make up for that. The delivery remains varied, which in a way detracts from my enjoyment of the album. From the doom of "A Ventilation System for Cooling Poultry" to the punk of "God Made Us in the Image of His Ass" (they do have a bit of a knack for song titles, don't they?), Charger keep their sludge ugly and very heavy. What they fail to do is keep my interest level stable throughout. The slower, painful doom sections might get repetitive after some time in the absence of some contrast, but I would still definitely rather have more of those and less of the mid-paced punk-laced material. Nevertheless, Charger remain a band to look out for in case you are a fan of the genre; _CoaM(MEtLAB)_ is at least an intriguing album with several interesting sequences and a devastating sound.

Contact: http://www.peaceville.com

(article published 8/6/2003)