Julien-K - Death to Analog

Genre metal Publisher Metropolis Records External Links

As far as albums failing to release on time goes, Julien-K’s Death to Analog may very well be nu-metal/industrial’s response (we have been waiting with bated breath) to Guns ‘N Roses Chinese Democracy.  Originally a side project for Family Values Tour all-stars Orgy, Julien-K has been in limbo since a few demos surfaced in 2003.  They did a couple shows in 2007, and finally, in 2009, we are delivered Death to Analog, which will probably pull a few of those nu-metal hanger-ons, but little more.

Unsurprising for Orgy fans, the best song on the album is a cover of a classic new wave track.  “NVR Say NVR” is nearly a note-for-note a cover of Romeo Void’s “Never Say Never,” down to vocalist Ryan Shucks’ low-key lazy drawl for the main verse.  But give me a break—a good song is a good song, especially with a bridge like “I might like you better if we slept together.”  The same thing worked with “Blue Monday”—take a fairly popular but mainstream abandoned new wave track and put loud guitars on it.  Instant classic.

Listen, you already know if you’re going to like this or not.  Inappropriate screaming, subpar industro-pop, solid production but nothing fancy, this vacuous disc satisfies its target mall-goth audience and little more.  “I need to feel like somebody sometimes,” vamps Shuck.  “Sometimes I feel so cold and empty.”  Sigh.  Somewhere in the lonesome Midwest, where no one understands her, a young teenage girl fauns over a Chester Bennington poster (shocker:  he’s affiliated with several tracks on Death), and this is her personal soundtrack.

There’s some good news, though.  Julien-K wear their influences on their collective black fishnet sleeves, which is cool because they listen to some rad tunes:  “System de Sexe” sounds a little Throbbing Gristle, Kick the Bass has some early Fischerspooner, Technical Difficulties sounds like The Prodigy if you don’t think too hard, not to mention the aforementioned Romeo Void cover.  Plus, Deadmau5 remixed them!  There’s a lot to mined from Julien-K, who take all these things and try to streamline them for modern mass consumption, so after their target audience gets into college and starts having one of those conversations of embarrassing First Favorite Bands, one can only half-sheepishly admit that it may have been Julien-K.