Triclops - Out Of Africa

Genre experimental Publisher Alternative Tentacles External Links Triclops Website

Experimental music can be too far fetched to be enjoyable. Like an artistic outreach, experimental music so often points the ears in a direction they do not wish to go. Triclops' newest release, Out of Africa, manages to tramp this would be fine line; making it somewhat more decipherable, but just as obscured. Members Phil(drums), Christian(bass), Larry(guitar), and Johnny(vocals) do their best to keep you guessing throughout Out Of Africa's 7 tracks; ultimately making the 39 minutes of warped sonic sounds worthwhile.

The album's first track, 'March Of The Half Babies' begins politely before it thumps into a steady march. Pumping hard, the vocals enter with psychedelic effects, making them difficult to understand. The lyrics are more or less non sensible though, so do not feel like your missing out. With stanzas like "now there's nothing but entropy between me and my third ball", it is hard to refute such a truth. The song is very dynamic and filtered with bongos, strange noises, and a very percussive break down. 'Iraqi Curator' has a theme that is much more understandable, as its title suggests. It tells the tale from a strange perspective on the Iraq War happenings, almost from the perspective of a deranged looter or cunning opportunist whose true identity remains illusive. This song is also very dynamic and sounds a lot like something you might have heard from At the Drive In. 'Freedom Tickler' is a truly psychedelic song, illustrating the musical genre of acid punk nicely. We find Johnny's vocals cloaked in special effects again, while the guitar keeps the sound from floating way over the top. The percussion is bombastic here, but the bass could use a boost in volume or perhaps even a flux in tonality.

'Duende War' is a song that could be interpreted as a mockery of modernization and desolation of more primitive cultures. The vocals are cleaner in this song, with Johnny creating a uniquely satirical atmosphere with his style alone. The music is more formal here and the chord progressions have a rock feel. ' Cassava' sounds a lot like a grittier version of a Mars Volta song. Although it is a good song, this makes it totally unoriginal and not worth a further explanation. Out Of Africa's 6th track, 'Secret 93' begins nicely in a bland kind of way. It enters into an almost middle-eastern sound for a little while with what sounds a lot like a diminished chord progression. Like an iceberg, there is much more to this song though. It continues on into a volatile song that permeates back into itself by way of drastic changes in direction. It is one of the album's most interesting songs. 'Love Song For The Botfly' is a wild destination on a bumpy ride. As strange lyrical as the album's opening cut, the song is hard to interpret. Telling a self suggestive tale of the life cycle of an insect(Botfly) one has to consider there might be much more to it. The music is spastic and intense but does not escape from anything that the album hasn't already shown. The songs last lyrics are memorable in their objectivity, "You don't need love, I want to be you".

Out Of Africa is an enjoyable listen for all its craziness and dynamic explorations. Instead of sticking to generic formulas, or trying to be too subversive, Triclops does a good job of creating a new sound. The only exception is that, at times, this album sounds too much like At the Drive In or the Mars Volta. But to give the band the credit it deserves, every listener should at least give it a spin to form their own conclusions. For if Out of Africa is more of a mimic than a novelty, then Triclops should be applauded for such an accurate portrayal.