MY FRUIT PSYCHOBELLS... A SEED COMBUSTIBLE

This is the first Avant-garde band and album I ever listened to. It started a love affair with this kind of music that rages to this day. Anyway, the first thing the listener will notice is that the production is a little on the raw side. It takes some getting used to, but it shouldn't be a problem after a while.

This is a very ambitious album and exploratory album. The band hadn't quite matured to the fullest yet, but the ambition makes it very enjoyable. The album has elements of progressive metal, gothic metal, death metal, jazz-fusion, psychedelia, and even New Age. There are male and female sung vocals and even death growls. Toby Driver may come off as kind of wussy at first, but he sings better on this album than on either "Bath" or "Leaving Your Body Map". Luckily, he would return to his jazzier vocals with Kayo Dot. Maria sounds pretty good, but she does better on loungier songs I think. This album also has the craziest guitar solos I've heard from these musicians.

So we have five metal songs, two easy-listening-esque songs, and the throw-away last track that is a recording of the band members whispering things and giggling. Why they put that on the album, we'll never know. Regardless, this is an awesome debut and harbinger of things to come for this band.