Pin-Up Went Down - 342 (2010)

(Ascendance Records)

Sometimes in early 2007, Alexis Damien (former Wormfood, Carnival in Coal) and Asphodel (Penumbra, Lands of Past, Ad Inferna, ex-Nowonmai, Howdy Effect) formed Esthete Piggie which by the end of the same year would become Pin-Up Went Down.  Under this name, the French duo went on to release “2 Unlimited” in the following year, a fairly bold metal recording that takes the listener through a journey where death metal and electro Goth bizarrely co-exist through the combination of jazz, funk and pop among many other influences.  And “342”, does not fail in delivering another jaw-dropping-eye-popping hodgepodge of interwoven different music genres and styles that PUWD is now known for.  As the members of the band promised, this is not a follow up to their first album.  And they kept their promise.  As a result, the electro Goth feel from “2 Unlimited” is gone, leaving the room for unexpected and unexplored new crazy ideas.

This time around, Nicolas Damien, Alexis’ old bro, joins PUWD as a co-writer.  The title itself, “three for two” (also a play on word on the expression “tea for two”) is a welcoming wink to his arrival as a third member of the band.  As a result, PUWD seems tighter and the album greatly benefits from a more melodic approach.  Nico’s keyboard works can be heard throughout the album adding a lot of depth, character and texture to the compositions without overshadowing other instruments and can also stand on their own as it is the case in “Pictures to Speak to” and “Home”.  The later, Nico’s little baby, was one of the first songs written for “342”, a lullaby showcasing the mesmerizing voice of Asphodel accompanied by a beautiful and simple melody played on the piano, reminiscent to great classical composers.

As it is the case on “Home”, Asphodel’s vocals on the other tracks are unparalleled as she pushes her vocal capabilities beyond their own limits, delivering beautiful shivering-down-your-spine lines reminding at times Alanis Morissette’s warm tone on “Escargot”, all the while remaining authentic and true to her own sound and style, or sounds and styles rather, constantly surprising the listener with her vocal skills.  The track “Vaginaal Nathrakh” – homage to Anaal Nathrakh – is a musical extravaganza on which Asphodel demonstrate how versatile her instrument is by delivering ever transforming vocals.  From j-pop style, to operatic, to squeals, she impersonates a singing child and even delivers grunts and growls that could put Cannibal Corpse’s George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher to shame.  Well…  Not quite.  But you get the picture.  And for those interested, she also grunts and growls on “Porcelain Hours”, “Khabod of my Aba” and “Murphy in the Sky with Daemons” just to name a few.  Asphodel also contributed to the album by writing all the lyrics.  And despite the fact that PUWD’s music might at times come across as happy-go-lucky, the lyrics on several tracks are the results of her painful introspection which in turns offer great contrast with the music.  Despite the humor, some of the texts are dead serious and deals with subjects such as religion (Khabod of my Aba), mental disorders (Diapositive) death and loneliness (Pictures to Speak to) among others.

Alexis touches everything: from vocals (clean/grunts/growls) to guitars, from production to recording and mixing, and drums of course.  As expected, Alexis delivers great percussion skills throughout the album, furiously pounding the drum skins during intense and tight sections while demonstrating great dynamics during slow and/or quieter segments.  As it should be, there is method to the madness with the guitar work and there are enough heavy guitar riffs to remind the listener that “342” is a metal album after all.  The guitar textures and sounds are almost as varied as Asphodel’s vocals can be.  The riffs are not too complex or over the top but very effective while leaving enough room for the bass lines which can be heard clearly throughout the album, a big plus. “Porcelain Hours” and “Parodoxical Sarabanda” are perfect examples of all this.  On singing duties, Alexis strong vocal lines hints a wilder, mean, or less composed demeanor at times as heard on “Diapositive”, and there is good chemistry between him and Asphodel.  The younger Damien brother is also responsible for some odd-goings-on on this recording like the eerie intro to “Aquarium” (a tweaked version of Gustav Mahler's 4th Movement from Symphony No.5) which closes the album.

On a closing note, “342” might prove to be too different from “2 Unlimited” for some, not enough for others.  While some might say there is too much of this, others will argue there is not enough that, and so on…  Truth of the matter is, it is impossible to please everyone.  But one thing is for sure, PUWD are releasing a solid album in “342” that will please open minded metalheads and music lovers who are craving something that is tight, well written, audacious, unusual and unpredictable.