Search - Doll Factory :: Weightless

Astute, intense electro rock

severin23 | 02/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Somewhere in rainy Seattle, there's a groove on, a post-punk electronica groove. Doll Factory's full length debut combines diverse elements to deliver a disk with a nice combination of pop sensibility, musical freshness, and astute cultural observation. Duo Garrick Antikajian and Chris Roy weave guitar-influenced, industrial rock with creative electronics to create a sound that nods to Nine Inch Nails and Prodigy, but is a tad lighter in execution and uniquely their own. The disk opens with a string arrangement intro to 'We are the Hollow Men', a sit-up-and-notice track that segues into the irrepressibly spunky yet strangely haunting dance track 'Tin Girl-Tin Love' and onward through eleven more infectious, well-crafted pieces of eyes-wide-open post-modernism that you can still bounce to. Refreshingly, Roy and Antikajian have the confidence to reveal their individual personalities within the context of the band. Both sing and write, with Roy's compositions, such as the hard-rock flavored 'Permanent' and the sinister yet romantic ballad 'Blessed', tending towards a more traditional sound, while Antikajian's compositions offer playful percussive experiments and drip with irony. Gems include 'Blank Dirge', a song that is anything but, with layers of percussion, keyboard and sample building with controlled intensity, and 'Stand and Fight', a jointly-written hard-edged confrontational tune that walks a challenging lyrical line. The production, lyrics, and maturity of this album are remarkable in a debut offering, a trait owing to the years that Antikajian and Roy spent paying their dues in other projects. And, for a bonus, the disk ends with an inspired version of the Britney Spears vehicle 'Baby One More Time', a darker, surprisingly edgy interpretation that also gives us a subtle commentary on the commercialization of our innermost desires. The only thing weightless here seems to be the title. Somewhere, a factory produces dolls. Antikajian and Roy noticed, and so must we. ~ The Sentimentalist, Volume III Issue X, Winter/Spring 2003"

Dark Industrial Rock

severin23 | 02/27/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After the release of a highly touted demo, Seattle's Doll Factory finally makes their full-length debut as they bring forth their contagious mix of industrial rock, goth, electronica, and a slight touch of experimentalism. 'Weightless' is a cathartic collection of crisp electronics, driving beats, and more than a fair share of guitar riffage creating a sound somewhat similar to Pig, KMFDM, and Sister Machine Gun. The album opens with 'We Are The Hollow Men', as eerie and ominous synth arrangements give way to distorted hip-hop rhythms and guttural vocals just before special guest, Jason Bazinet of SMP breaks in with a spitfire rap delivery. On the catchy electro rock of 'Tin Girl-Tin Love', the duo of Garrick Antikajian and Chris Roy showcase a strong pop sensibility infused with melodic electronica. Doll Factory also slows the pace down and moves away from the chant-along choruses of their more energetic material as heard in the gothic undertones of 'Glory' and the brooding Nine Inch Nails-like 'Touch (Ill-Starred)'. The duo even turns in a gritty cover of Britney Spears' 'Baby One More Time', turning the bubblegum pop hit into a twisted obsession-themed S&M ode. In the end, Doll Factory produces enjoyable industrial rock that could have easily fit in with the mid-90s coldwave craze but yet manages to sound fresh today..."

Weightless

severin23 | London, UK | 03/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Seattle's Doll Factory are somewhat displaced from Reznor's dour-obsessed denizens and instead seem more infuenced by Chemlab or Sister Machine Gun's ingenuity, if not their musical schematics. 'We Are The Hollow Men' and 'Bite The Coil' build themselves into stomp-anthems around their complex drum and bass patterns (as opposed to drum 'n' bass patterns), while 'Tin Girl-Tin Love' introduces an electro-clash-ish edge to the album. 'Permanent' gives Doll Factory the opportunity of expressing the influence of the mighty Mode with its morally magnanimous lyrics, whilst the beguiling 'Shapeshifter' cuts like a knife...their 'Weightless' debut burns with a righteous energy that almost consumes those that hear it. ~ Rock Sound, Issue 46"