code-bleu's Full Review: Legion of Boom by Crystal Method
I'm sure most musicians would agree that following up a hit album can be one of the most daunting prospects of their career. Not because the actual tasks of writing and recording are difficult, necessarily, but because the general public’s expectations can be notoriously hard to gauge, let alone satisfy. If you stick with the formula that worked on your debut, then you might be accused of simply releasing the same old stuff in a different package. If you spread your wings and experiment with new styles and sounds, then people may say you’ve lost touch with what made your first record so great in the first place. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Of course, I’m talking worst-case scenario here, but it happens a lot more often than you might think.
Judging from the bulk of the reviews I’ve read on the Net, that was the case with The Crystal Method. Less punk than The Prodigy, not given to the occasional foray into trippy Beatlesque psychedelia as The Chemical Brothers are wont to do, and nowhere near as engagingly goofy as Fatboy Slim can sometimes be, Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland were hailed as the Next Big Thing on the club scene back in the mid-'90s. Early tracks like “Now Is The Time” and “Blast” were alternately hard-hitting and sensuously moody, and many critics made much of the fact that the two were from the good ol’ U.S. of A.; not only did their songs kick major butt, they were Americans to boot! The full-length debut Vegas was released in 1997 to unanimously rave reviews, “Keep Hope Alive” and “Busy Child” appeared in countless movie, television, and video game trailers, and the duo was tapped to do remixes for the likes of Garbage, Keoki, Cardinal, and Moby.
Alas, things were not as rosy for their 2001 sophomore effort Tweekend. Though generally well-received and boasting high-profile collaborations with Tom Morello, DJ Swamp, and Scott Weiland, the album’s larger doses of hard rock, hip-hop, and R&B were not to the liking of those fans who preferred the straightforward techno of Vegas. Just as many, however, were enthusiastic about the changes and claimed that the potential for exciting new songs had increased dramatically. Thus, the stage was set for The Crystal Method’s third proper release: would they return to their club roots and drop Vegas 2 or would they continue to experiment with their sound and possibly mix in some jazz, reggae, and/or country western?
Turns out, Jordan and Kirkland did both. And neither. Legion Of Boom retains a healthy portion of Tweekend’s urban flavors - minus the f-words which characterized many of that album’s songs - yet still keeps the emphasis on the all-important groove which made Vegas such an indispensable part of the Big Beat canon.
The leadoff number may throw you a bit, though. “Starting Over” first appeared on the soundtrack for Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life back in July of last year and while its pace is quick, it’s also somber and subdued. Rather than shoving you directly onto the dancefloor, it gently steers you over to the bar to chill out with a cocktail while you get a feel for the place. The Crystal Method seem to prefer to ease listeners into their records slowly; both “Trip Like I Do” and “PhD” worked themselves into your system beat by beat instead of hitting you with a wrecking ball. Still, this tune is fated to be the one fans new and old will skip over the most. It’s also the one you will most likely see being danced to by no one else but those weird, hippie-looking chicks who get their freak on all by themselves in a corner of the club.
“Born Too Slow” is when things really get moving. Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland shows off some kooky riffs as former Kyuss frontman John Garcia shreds his voice box in this noisy, energetic rocker. It’s the obvious choice for the first single, though it doesn’t quite measure up to the monstrous stomp of Tweekend’s “Name Of The Game.” It also clocks in at a scant three minutes, so listeners may well find themselves wondering, “Wait - is it over already?” Worthwhile, but not essential.
With their slammin’ beats, minimal vocal samples, and synthesized bells and whistles, “True Grit,” “Broken Glass,” and “Acetone” will please even the snobbiest techno purists. Wes Borland makes a second appearance to add some fuzzy chainsaw guitar to the roaring “Weapons Of Mass Distortion” (changed from its original title out of respect for the troops in Iraq, much the same way that Tweekend’s “Murder” was renamed “You Know It’s Hard” after the Columbine tragedy) and Lisa Kekaula of garage rock band The BellRays contributes some gospel-tinged, smooth-as-chrome singing to the vibrant “High And Low.”
Rahzel of The Roots briefly lends his tough rap delivery to “The American Way” as a chunky hip-hop rhythm propels the song past a variety of wacky audio effects and a Ronald Reagan sound byte that’s stuck in an endless loop. The slowest-burning joint on the album, it may take a few spins for it to grow on you. Actress and sometime chanteuse Milla Jovovich makes a surprisingly effective donation to “I Know It’s You,” floating New Age vocals over the top of a track that’s both lush and spooky.
Lisa Kekaula also grabs the mic for “Realizer,” another pulse-pounder which stands up nicely alongside Trixie Reiss’ work in “Comin’ Back” and Julie Gallios’ in “Ten Miles Back” but doesn’t surpass either one. San Francisco poet Hanifah (a.k.a. Shä-key) guest stars on the bouncy “Bound Too Long” and freestyles on the hella cool “Wide Open.” “Know how to shut it down,” she intones authoritatively, and Jordan and Kirkland wisely end the album on that piece of advice.
Casual electronica fans who get easily bored with rambling, nine-minute drum n’ bass songs will find Legion Of Boom to be the most easily-digestible of The Crystal Method’s discs, since very few of the tracks stray beyond the five-minute mark. Some whiners may complain that the album plays it too safe by not going deep enough into any one genre (“They shoulda went MORE rock n’ roll! They shoulda had MORE hip-hop!”) but the lasting impression is that Jordan and Kirkland found a near-perfect balance for all the diverse musical elements present in Vegas and Tweekend. The dance grooves are more consistent here, there’s very little downtime, and the basslines are strong enough to pulverize kidney stones. Who cares if it’s only January - this is one of the best party records of the year.
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