BOTTOM (you'rNext) CD
Although 2005 isn't over yet, this album belongs definitely to one of the biggest surprises of this year, and it was a courageous step from BOTTOM to record such an experimental low-end album like "you'rNext". With the last album "Feels So Good When You're Gone", released by Man's Ruin Records, the band had established themselves in the heavy scene and due to constant marathon touring, BOTTOM gained a good reputation for being a crushing live-act. After the breakdown of Man's Ruin, the band was signed by Small Stone Records and with "you'rNext", their first album for the Detroit-based label, BOTTOM have executed a radical cut.
The new album still includes a few of the band's trademarks like huge monster riffs, an extreme low-end bass-sound, or the stunning vocals from Sina. But they have removed almost all well-known rock conventions and filled the empty space with feedback, song fragments, whispering vocal-parts and folk-like elements, featuring a flute. And at least, they weren't afraid in recording a verse from Friedrich Schiller, entitled "Excerpt from Schiller"! Well, this "song" is very short, but it helps in emphasizing the bizarre folk-vibe on "you'rNext". Sina is still an outstanding vocalist with a very varied voice, and in "Requiem", her singing reminds me to Diamanda Galas or Nico. But the album includes also a few "real" rock 'n' roll songs like "By a thread", that could have been taken from the previous album or the outstanding "The Traveller", one of the best songs I've ever heard from BOTTOM.
I'm not sure, if this three ladys have resigned the old formula and will come up with more sonic surprises in the future, but "you'rNext" will be a shock for fans of the first two albums. To speak for myself, I like the experimental edge here, although sometimes, I had the impression that I was sitting in BOTTOM's rehearsel space at NYC's Lower East Side, and watched how this three women were tuning up their instruments... But after this disc had taken a lot of spins in the player, my conclusion is, that the album must be seen as an entire piece of art. I guess, they won't find a lot of new fans with "you'rNext", but I think it's great, that BOTTOM gave a shit about any expectations and recorded this kind of catharsis within four days. Respect!
(KK)