Who knows what the future holds. Nobody does for sure but this group led by
the rock veteran John Bechdel gives us a look into what may be in store. God
Complex creates an atmosphere of a bleak mechanical society where humanity
is lost. Using a techno electronic base to set the mood, False Icon expands from
that idea with a multifaceted approach that brings together so many genres of
music that to try and pigeonhole it into a category is impossible. Suffice it to
say that there is something for everyone on this disc.
Opening up with the song Decay, the layered keyboards set the tone only to be
thrashed by a serious churning guitar and a thumping bass line that brings
images of Frankie Goes To Hollywood meets Marilyn Manson! This powerhouse
beginning just lays the foundation for an album that is thoroughly entertaining
with its intricate instrumentation by the whole band and the unique vocals of
Bechdel. This is a group of four guys that have a real sense of what it takes to
create a sound that is totally unlike anything you have heard before.
Brian Broadt on keyboards along with John makes a synthesizer backdrop from
which this music morphs into the cornucopia that is God Complex. The
constant driving rhythms that fuel the chaos are the responsibility of Mark
Panek on drums and Dave Brown on bass. The stark cold world depicted on this
album is brought to light by this pair. Brian and John also add the guitars that
make this album so mad and the vision of a difficult to categorize. Together,
this band brings the realities of a world gone future, which we would hope to
avoid to the listeners.
According to Brian, the band has made an album about how the future may look,
bleak, but there is still time to correct it. Using their metal skills, the guys
emphasize this fact with the heavy guitar rockers like Lead The Way which is
described as their metal anthem. He also told me that while recording at Al
Jourgensen's place, he sat in a chair that was used in the movie A Clockwork
Orange. I guess there is nothing better than a trip to the Korova Milk Bar to
help get the creative juices flowing. This work could have easily been used as a
soundtrack for the world created by Anthony Burgess.
But aside from the futuristic aspects of the album, there is still the music
that is such a great blend of so many styles. John's diverse background which
includes playing keyboards for a wide array of bands such as; Ministry, Fear
Factory, Prong and Ascension of The Watchers, definitely helps with the music
that his own band has set out to record. He draws on all of his experience in
the creation of this disc. Never leaving well enough alone, he strives for the
new and adventurous with every stroke of the keyboard and every riff of the
guitar.
I asked Brian who the influences were when it came to making this album and
as diverse as the music is, it was no wonder that he gave me such a broad
spectrum of players as Frank Tovey, David Byrne, Killing Joke and The Beatles.
These bands might have left their mark on the music of False Icons, but this
band from Pennsylvania is without a doubt in a league of their own. Listening to
the band's self titled anthem False Icons, I hear a song about things to watch
out for in our daily lives and in the future. They could not have come up with a
better description for the band as the ARE a group to watch out for in the world
of progressive music. 13th Planet Records has a hit on their hands and this is a
group to watch for.
Track Listing:
1. Decay
2. Tranquilizer
3. The Wheel
4. Transform
5. Mystified
6. Lead the Way
7. False Icons
8. Deterioration
9. Recover
10. Defective
11. Into the Emptiness
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