Search - Mentallo & Fixer :: Revelations 23

An Undeniable & Timeless Classic

Bert Rinderle | L.A., CA United States | 10/27/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now that it's eight years old (eight years?!? where does the time go?), it's safe to say that Revelations 23, the debut album by the Texas brothers Mentallo & the Fixer, is one of industrial's all-time classic albums.It STILL sounds fresh and innovative. From the pounding rage of "Scum of the Earth" to the unholy shrieks of "Fusion Mutation", from the dreamlike synths of "Grim Reality" to the turbo-charged "Legion of Lepers", this album is a relentless wonder from start to finish. Most of the songs feature multiple layers of percussion (including organic-sounding bells and chimes) and typical industrial throbbing rhythms and backing synths. However, these supposed industrial cliches are arranged in a fashion that is anything but typical. Gary and Dwayne Dassing produce music that has been often copied, but never successfully imitated - the sign of true artists. M&TF produce the soundtrack to a trip through a timeless, endless black cathedral: a grand, dark adrenaline rush. Although the follow-up album Where Angels Fear to Tread has an arguably more refined and melodic sound, Revelations is a masterpiece of stirring fury that even the Dassings themselves could never match. Lyrically, there's more here than may be apparent - the grittingly personal anti-drug message of "Cerebral Statik Overdose", the anti-rape "Fusion Mutation", and the disturbingly poetic "Inhumanities" all indicate that there's more to M&TF than just electronic mayhem.If you define a classic as an album that never gets old and still causes your jaw to drop after years of listening, Revelations 23 fits that description perfectly. This is one of the high points in the history of industrial music. If you got into M&TF during their later releases, do yourself a favor see how it all started. More recent albums like Vengeance is Mine and Return to Grimpen Ward sound flimsy and uninspired when compared to Revelations 23. Fans should also not miss out on the fantastic compilation of unreleased tracks titled No Rest for the Wicked. In my view, Revelations 23 was the best industrial release of the 90s (perhaps the best ever) and I am sure it will continue to be imitated for a long time to come."

AWESOME!

Bert Rinderle | 12/20/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Revelations 23' was released in 1993. Think about what some other bands were doing around that time. No joke, I've had this cd for over 4 years, and I STILL find stuff in it I didn't notice before...great layers, very trance like, and very raw and spontaneous. Far ahead of its time, I swear I hear several modern dance artists copying some of the Dassing brothers techniques. I like this cd a bit more than their most reknowned cd 'Where Angels Fear to Tread', but that's just me. If you like Trance, Spacey sounds, and industrial dance rhythms, this is definitely for you!"