The Need, The Need Is Dead (Chainsaw) 9
The Need are all about attitude, from their cool mod-ish name to their severe Russian constructivist cover art to their heavy post-punk guitars and robotic bleeps and farts. The Need are the power duo of Rachel Carns and Radio Sloan, mixing one half of Kicking Giant with early Ultravox, late Raincoats, Killing Joke, Six Finger Satellite and Metallica. Not that their sound is as dense as the latter three -- give 'em a break, they only have eight limbs. The album starts off where their debut left off, spare keyboard-driven new wave songs about superhero cybergirls and raunchy sex ("Vaselina" carries on from the last album's "Rim Me Isabella"). The singing is generally tuneless, but they are just too rad to let it matter. Then comes a complete surprise with "O Sally How's It Feel With A Fake Hand?," which is either a hilarious parody of The Melvins, complete with lo-end guitar crunch and an accurate pisstake on King Buzzo's vocal style, or an earnest tribute/cover. It extends into the next song, "Dark Sally," which is divided into three movements, including "Sally Iscariot." While this would be hilarious live, it's getting to be a bit much. By "Hellfire" you'll end up checking the CD changer to see if you're still listening to The Need, because it sounds more like early Slayer. They surprise again with the closing "Mona Tinsley," a haunting piano-driven piece with whispered, sexy vocals. Clocking in at 28 minutes, The Need Is Dead is both too much and not enough, which in a strange way, is just right.
