Conor Fynes 'Neocortex' - Senmuth (4/10)

Another album that shows Senmuth experimenting with some more European folk music under the banner of industrial metal. To those yet unaware of this man's music, Senmuth is an artist that has crossed over a very wide range of music, from the light nuances of electronic ambient, to dark ethnic world music, to the crushing distortion of the heavier metal music for which he is known best. With 'Neocortex', we are taken back a few years to the style Senmuth used most when this prolific experimental project was still in it's infancy. Industrial metal with hints of ethnic music is the order of the day here, and while the album here is spiced up by a couple of very fun covers, the music here shows that Senmuth's typical industrial metal has been stretched a bit too far.

It's difficult to speak of 'Neocortex' on it's own, for besides the two cover songs here, there is nothing new to Senmuth. Simple guitar work with plenty of distortion makes up the main body of music, along with the weird, distinctive and slightly annoying singing ability of lead man Valery Av. When held up against other albums of similar sound however, there is less of a Middle-Eastern/Egyptian sound to the music, instead opting for some fresher accordions and pianos to lead things. Barring that, the music reprises what was done years before with albums like 'Cognitive Discord.'

Without a doubt, the three final songs of 'Neocortex' are the highlight of the album, and ultimately the work's saving graces. As for the two covers, it's pretty impressive on it's own that Senmuth would have the gall to follow up a Bangles cover with a song originally penned by black metal innovators Mercyful Fate. Both covers are very fun to listen to despite their vast differences, and the puns Senmuth throws into the music makes for a very tongue-in- cheek vibe (the singer pronounces the Mercyful Fate song 'Come To The Senmuth'). Unfortunately, the melody and complexity of the covers (especially 'Come To The Sabbath') make the original numbers pale in comparison.

'Neocortex' certainly has some strength to it, but nothing of note; it has nothing of it's own to sport, instead choosing to dine on the style of previous albums, seemingly note-for-note. With the exception of the two fun covers here, there isn't much to 'Neocortex'.