Latest Review: Magic Lantern – High Beams

Long Beach’s Magic Lantern have finally gone and released a new sonic document after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Eagerly anticipated by those who have been biding their time waiting for the band to get on with their uber limited cassette only and CD-R releases (their Self-Titled CD-R was limited to 30), “High Beams”, the band’s latest opus [...]

Blaqk Audio – Cex Cells

Did you think NIN’s “Pretty Hate Machine” and “Downward Spiral” were too hard edged and are all about anything Depeche Mode and New Order or are you a teen worshipper of Davey Havoc similar to that of a Morrissey Apostle? If you answered yes to either of these questions, chances are you will find yourself gravitating to Blaqk Audio’s debut release, Cex Cells. If your answer was no to either question, odds are you will find yourself bored to tears by Cex Cells.

Blaqk Audio is the electronica side project of AFI ’s vocalist Davey Havoc and guitarist Jade Puget and Cex Cells is their first offering in this genre of music that the two have been long time fans of but are just starting to take part the creation of. Listening to the album you can definitely tell both Havoc and Puget are avid followers of the music of which they are doing their best to create, but what never seems to come across is any real sense of the two making it their own, instead they dabble in a variety of electronic genres which all feel like an exercise in the meticulous recreating what those before them, like Depeche Mode and New Order, laid blueprints for two decades ago. There is no edge to the recording, where are the dance floor bangers (pun sort of intended)? The “music” very much takes a backseat to Havoc’s vocals which are pushed way out in front, who’s style works well only about 50% of the time here.

And where are AFI fans going find themselves with this release, I think the odds are pretty good the band’s KROQ sect will probably find this pretty “gay”, where as long time fans who have stuck with the band as their style has progressed from hardcore tinged Eastbay punk outfit to a tightly polished anthemic rock radio force will probably find solace in this as a bridge in the gap in between AFI releases.