THE DECRIMINALISATION OF COUNTRY MUSIC

Disappointing, yet somewhat expected. The excellent opener 'Something Spooked the Horses' has an electric guitar plucked in country style, but is stretched to breaking point like an elastic band before snapping. It glides over electronic scrapes and scratches in the background as all the while an ominous single deep keyboard chord emanates, lurking threateningly. Surprisingly, this is the most viewed Zoviet France tune on 'You Tube'.

It's such a pity that Robin Storey of 'Rapoon' left the band in 1991. Zoviet France lost the drive and 'oomph' that they once held. Pretty much everything is electronic in a minimalist way on 'The Decriminilisation of Country Music'. It's all digital electronic processing in a flat repetitive manner but without feeling. At least there's still that definite Zoviet France sound which saves it from falling into abject mediocrity, it's just that they've lost that threatening alien aspect they once mastered so easily.

'Electron Gate' is a case in point, where deliberate electronic glitches and clicks are prevalent, irritatingly so, as an uninspired synthetic pulsing bass throbs on top. It goes nowhere and leaves me looking at my fingernails in disappointment as I type this. It seems to go on forever during its ten minute duration.

Admittedly, the parts with those hugely distorted guitars are pretty cool, in particular 'Stainless' - but it only lasts for a miserable one and a half minutes.

'Pyroclastic Flow' sounds uninspired where we've got, for the first time, throbbing bass and electronic sounds mingling together - quite well in honesty - it's just that it goes on and on with only slight variations for the next eleven sadly forgotten minutes. Although the ending is pretty good with its high pitched warped vocal loop.

'Spiiltek' confirms my accusations of recent Zoviet France recordings. Emotionless clicks, scratches and formless shapeless electronic sequences disappoint despite the bass drone that slowly envelops this track. And unfortunately, the less said about the highly boring 'Light Abrasion' the better. This sounds like a minimal electronic digital experiment stuck on repeat - beat-less and tuneless as it trudges on to its forgettable conclusion.

There's something amiss with Zoviet France these days. It's a bit like hearing a piano played with one hand.