El Schlong - Time/Place
Kiwi metallers El Schlong, probably have one of the most ridiculous band names I have ever heard, but in their eyes, that's unimportant. Here's hoping they take their music a bit more seriously.
They're fronted by a female singer, Leah, but from the sounds of her work, I would have put money on these tracks being sung by a guy. She is also solely in charge of the guitar work in the band, which thankfully, sounds a lot more pleasant than her voice.
Despite their stupid name, El Schlong can actually find their way around very selected instruments pretty well, and are capable of creating bold and complex compositions. They successfully mix genres, which gives them a very accomplished sound. Their music is heavy and confident (for the most part), but there is the odd awkward moment.
Opening track 'With Trousers On' is pretty much your run of the mill metal number before it switches to clean vocals and clean guitars, not that the calm ambience lasts for long. 'Number 42' is a highlight; the added touch of the trumpet is excellent, and breaks the album up a bit. The good thing about this album is you don't know what direction the trio of Kiwis are going to take next, so it keeps you on your toes. Despite their silly name and song titles, they do seem to take things seriously and are not light hearted in the way they create and execute their songs.
I would imagine that all the songs on here would be a lot more enjoyable at a live show, but just listening to it blare out of my speakers was not doing anything for me; it was a struggle to get to the end of the album.
Currently based in Germany, these guys are not going to struggle to find fans, but, based on "Time/Place" alone, I certainly will not be raving about them. The potential is there, musically it's pretty impressive, but vocally the whole album leaves a lot to be desired. "Time/Place" perfectly sums up to me why El Schlong have had a less then prolific eight-year career.