Supernaut

by

1000 Homo DJs

Edit

This CD really kind of sums up the music of Al Jourgensen in a small nutshell. The first song implies of his musical influences, being mostly Black Sabbath in nature and shows just how hard-driven his music is likely to sound. The second is the more droning, drum and bass industrial barn burner. The last two songs give you a taste of his early days of Ministry with the synth-pop sound and the only slightly distorted vocals. By the way, if you were hoping to hear Supernaut as sung by Trent Reznor, get the Nativity in Black compilation, because the version on this CD is sung by Al himself. It is hard to tell the difference, but it is there. Personally, I own more than just a few Luxa-Pan productions CD's, and this is by far my favorite. Yes, it is short, but it is well worth the time.

I actually bought this CD after getting the Nativity in Black tribute and being blown away by the sheer intensity of Supernaut. What makes the song really heavy is not so much the guitar as the drums. They're so fast and so layered it sounds almost like there's more than one drummer going it it at the same time. The second track, a long sketch featuring a disgruntled cop, is amusing the first few times one hears it, but quickly loses its interest after that. The other two tracks, Apathy and Better Days, are complete throw-aways. They're not TERRIBLE songs, but there's not much to be desired. They're flat, boring, monotone (dare I say "melancholy") ventures in industrial experimentation. My advice: If you're into Black Sabbath, just get Nativity in Black. It's got this track along with lot of really great metal bands covering classic Sabbath songs. If you're into Ministry, just get one of their albums. This little album is only necessary if you really like the Supernaut cover, but don't want the other Sabbath stuff.

By the way, contrary to popular belief, it is not Al Jourgensen on vocals, but Trent Reznor. Trent originally recorded the vocals for the song. There was some kind of problem with his record company, however, and he wasn't allowed to appear on the record. They agreed that Al would redo the vocals for the track, but in reality, they just distorted Trent's vocals so it would sound more like Al. I actually have the original, undistorted recording of the song, which I found online, to prove it. Besides, I've personally never heard Al Jourgensen sing that well. Have you?