FAULTLINE

Birdsong of the Mesozoic is a RIO band with roots in the punk movement (Mission of Burma). Their sound is RIO with a strong industrial rock edge, making the band sound like a cross-over between Univers Zero (Uzed) and Coil (Horse Rotorvator).

The only elements reminiscent of their punk past is the short and snappy nature of the tracks presented. And of course the anarchistic attitude towards music which is as strong in RIO as it is in punk. The quality of the pieces is a bit of a problem though. The opening 15 minutes that are vibrant and sweeping, but from Chariots of Fire onwards, the pace slows down and the musicianship gets more subdued. It's an almost ambient and minimalistic style that doesn't seem to fit the band too well and doesn't produce much memorable material.

The title track tries to stir things up again but the damage is done. The album shrinks to mere background music, which is not what you want from your RIO. Overall, the album is interesting enough to find out more about this band, but the next one will have to be better.