POWERMAN 5000 - Destroy What You Enjoy - CD
Powerman 5000
Destroy What You Enjoy
(DRT)
US
By Fabienne T
Right now in the UK, punk is having yet another revival having been hijacked by the trendy masses of the media and fashion world. Needless to say, these are the kind of people who would go into hysterics if ever a real punk were to brush passed them on their way to the spa… Nobody seems to know – and to care – anymore about what’s real and what’s fake… A myriad of bands claiming to have “punk roots” emerge from every corner, only to disappear almost as fast as they have arrived.
When confronted with “Destroy What You Enjoy”, I have to say I was very suspicious, especially when I looked at the sleeve adorned with the band’s promo picture. The singer has the bleached-blond spiky hair of a young Billy Idol, and the snarly pout that goes with it. The rest of the band are out of one of these Emo bands that infest mainstream heavy metal/rock music mags “for the kids”. I hadn’t heard of them ever before, and so I started doing a bit of research on the internet.
I found out that P5K is no novelty act and have got some quite solid credentials in the music world. Formed back in 1989 by Spider (singer and only remaining original member to this day), the band first played an industrial metal music much in line with that of Spider’s older brother… Rob Zombie! Their major label debut album was released in 1997 and the band toured with the likes of Marilyn Manson and Korn, and did a stint at the Ozzfest. In 2003, they released “Transform”, an album on which the electronic elements had been removed. After label troubles, the band is back with a new album.
So what about the music then? With a sneering punk attitude (“Destroy What You Enjoy”, “Return To The City Of The Dead”) and a solid addiction to big rock guitars (“Now That’s Rock’n’Roll”), Powerman 5K seem to hesitate between outright rebellion and pleasing the trends. This is a shame as the musicians are talented and play well, but there is definitely a lack of risk taking and experimentation. All in all, this sounds way too safe for its own good… “Wild World” plays like a catchy, pop/punk version of suburban angst, Green Day style; “All My Friends Are Ghosts” and “Walking Disaster” are pretty bland.
Then, by the end of the album, we get a surprise: the country-flavoured, wholesome “Miss America”, in which I can sense a good degree of irony. The album closes on the electrifying live version of “Heroes and Villains”, convincing me that Powerman 5000 must be a band to see on stage for the sheer energy they display.
One for “the kids”.
More info:
www.powerman5000.com