by Chris Stelmak
Daily Cougar StaffDespite its horribly cheesy name, Sister Machine Gun is a surprisingly gripping band. Its latest album, Burn, brings the band up to the edge of the industrial world.
John Fryer, producer for bands like Nine Inch Nails and Stabbing Westward, helped in the formation of this album, but Burn has a very different sound from some of these bands. The saxophone adds a strange twist to industrial music.
The person behind Sister Machine Gun is vocalist, keyboardist and programmer Chris Randall. Randall originally started the band with former guitarist Guillerme Muchado back in 1990.
The band did not really come together till Randall left Muchado and moved to Chicago to work in the mailroom at Wax Trax Records. He eventually formed a successful demo and was picked up by Wax Trax.
Xmas and Gino Lenardo grind out the guitar on most of the songs. Some songs are a bit softer, with smoother guitar. The deep bass coheses with the guitar expertly. The sax then twists in a bit of variety.
The title track, "Burn," really stands out. The keyboards are very smooth, while the rough scraping guitars are more of an undertone. Randall bonds with the music, his vocals flowing as the bass guitar thunders through.
In contrast, "Hole in the Ground" is a very harsh song. The gritty guitars stand out more while the drum machine slams out the music. The bass is still heavy and Randall's voice is as rough and grinding as the guitars.
Surprisingly, one of the better songs on the album is the secret song at the beginning. It has strong guitars and jazzy saxes. It is definitely a highlight.
When Sister Machine Gun tours, Patrick Sprawl of Skinny Puppy and Pigface will pick up the guitar. Expect to see Die Warzau's Kevin Temple on drums and Final Cut's Richard Deacon on bass.
Sister Machine Gun has put together a diverse album with rough and smooth cuts. Expect to hear more from this band.
Sister Machine gun will be playing tonight at Millenium with Gravity Kills. For more information, call 443-8878.