Customer Reviews

Chakra Red

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This album produces in me opposite reactions. Stmes I love it, stmes I hate it. A middle space would be better, I suppose. The album was released in 1997, and it meant a huge evolution from their previous albums: while Project Pitchfork's previous albums were characterised by a maybe purposeful raw electronics, Chakra red sounds richer in sounds. They introduce more guitars than ever, while at the same time they focus on the electronic sounds with more strength and variety than in the past. And then, why I don't consider this album the best PP? I'm not sure, maybe because I stmes feel as if they were trying to sound a bit like Front Line Assembly, losing at some times their distinctive sound achieved by albums like 'IO' and 'Alpha Omega'. However, it is the most varied album: some songs are quite guitaristic, others more ambient, etc. Let's see a song-per-song review:

1. Human Crossing: the album begins with a strange piece: electronics that sound somewhat blurred, dirty guitars, heavily distorted voice: I usually hate this; now I think it's a good way to start the album: it somewhat reminds me of earlier sound while at the same time establishes the difference and the evolution. (8/10)

2. 2096 AD: guitars breaks its way strongly. A heavy piece, unlike all Project Pitchfork made before; an attempt to emulate FLA maybe, it's a good song with raw vocals, and good drum'n bass chorus. (8.5/10)

3. Malicious delight: the logical evolution to previous albums. It seems as if the voice makes a duet with himself, a graver almost diabolical voice vs a more human one. Good sound, good melody, good song, though less innovative. (9/10)

4. Alien crossing: here the electronic beats are the masters; after some FLAish samples, the song breaks through quite danceable, quite accseeible, quite good. (8/10)

5. Time: time for a breath. Instrumental piece, no guitars, quite mellow and changeable. (8.5/10)

6. God wrote: obvious hit. Impressive chorus, good melody, some piano sound mixed up with the heavy electronic sounds. It reminds me of a more melodic FLA, but not a copy, not of course. (9/10)

7. Rush: curious song. Some metal guitars lead us through the slow begining just to break through into an explosive chorus full of electronics and guitars. Chaos made melody. i like this, quite different to what Pitchfork has ever done. (9/10)

8. December sadness: the most melancholy song: some children voices, tribal drums, good electronics, good grave voice, good chorus that transmits the december sadness perfectly. My favourite. (10/10)

9. Temptation: again a quite original song: some guitar sounds together with a heavy beat which reminds me stmes of NIN's Closer, obssscene lyrics (I like that) (9/10)

10. Tower of lust: maybe the weakes song. Not much interesting, it's just an everage song. Everything sounds soft on this one. (7.5/10)

11. Celeste: strong song. very few times has electronic music sounded as heavy. Repetitive vocals makes its purpose. (9/10)

12. Find a way home: a Vangelis cover. Quite average and out of place in this album. (7/10)

Chakra red is ,in my opinion, not the best Project Pitchfork album. In fact, i think IO and EON EON are better, but Chakra Red is maybe the most innovative of all: the album in which this band, after 5 albums, sort of reinvented themselves without losing their distinctive sound. If you like Project Pitchfork, buy it. If you like FLA and thing project Pichfork are too mellow for you, buy this album. It will make u change your opinion.

This album is much different than previous Project Pitchfork albums for a good reason: the whole band worked on the songs, instead of just Peter Spilles, which hasn't happened since Dhyani. There is a wider variety of sound than in the previous album, Alpha Omega, and it is a bit more modern in sound. This album is faster paced overall than previous works, as well as having an overall brighter sound which is very welcomed. And each song is quite distinct from another, yet at the same time have a binding. Tracks like God Wrote (my favorite on the album) and Human Crossing show off the creativity of Project Pitchfork like never before, and maintains their identity as one of the most distinct EBM/industrial acts today. It should be noted that the track "En Garde!" is off an earlier EP release and was recorded much earlier than the rest of Chakra:Red, and was never intended by Project Pitchfork to be on the album. However, Metropolis included it on its release of the album. Although it is a good song, you can tell it doesn't really belong in this album because it sounds noticably different from anything else on Chakra:Red.

I'm listening to this CD as I type this. I love Proj. Pitch!!!! I really think they're a band without classification or peer in their genre. Not industrial, not techno...just their own thing. My local Goth/Rivithead clubs (Sabbat/Therepy)refuse to play them when I request it, but it's great music. I think Chakra is a bit more dance oriented than their other albums. It's like a strange mix of Skinny Puppy and New Order. From the other reviews, I see that other people don't like this CD as much as the other Pitchy CD's, but it you like Eon:Eon and Alpha:Omega, I think you'll probably like this one.

Project Pitchfork CDs have a long tradition of being combinations of great and downright mediocre songs. Chakra Red! is no exception, but the good stuff outweighs the bad stuff massively here. Like all Project Pitchfork CDs, this one has its own distinctive sound, not comparable to their other work. The tone alternates between slow, dark, brooding melodies and loud, throbbing, aggressive tracks, sometimes within the same song. Tracks to skip are "2069 A.D." and "Alien Crossing", both of which exhaust themselves in an unmelodious, uninspired droning. Apart from those, all other tracks are rare gems, often merging into one another. From the opening "Human Crossing", which finds lead singer Spilles's voice distorted to such a degree as to create an almost underwater sound, over the powerful "Malicious Delight", to the somber and pensive "December Sadness" and the perky cover version of Vangelis's "I'll Find My Way Home", every song has its own distinct and unique feel. To add the final, perfecting touch, the CD booklet was designed by none other than the great comic book artist Dave McKean, who uses his well-known psychedelic collages to illustrate the lyrics. What more can you ask for?

Another great PP album. This album has lots of variation between songs, with different styles and mood changes. This has to be my favorite PP album. My favorite songs are Human Crossing, December Sadness, and temptation.

Sit back and enjoy!!!

This was the first PP album i came across, and it is still my favorite. Each song ventures into different textures and moods, while maintaining an overall dark and attractive feel. "Human Crossing" is my fav. PP song with "Malicious Delight" and "En Guard!" close behind. Where this album may have deviated in many ways from their earlier work, i think it is brilliant and i embrace the innovation...

This is Pitchfork's best album to date. All of its tracks are strong to say the least. A couple of the outstanding songs are Human Crossing with its swift tempo changes and angst ridden vocals and God Wrote with its soaring synth lines and touching lyrics. It has much in common as far as rhythmic structure goes with PP's earlier album, Entities, but aside from that it demonstrates the amazing amount of musical growth that PP has experienced throughout the years.

project pitchfork combines very melodic music with great lyrics. They stand out far above anything i have heard. They are as tough and loud as Front 242 but also combine etheric creative keyboards. This is there best album but definetly check out thier older stuff.

Pitchfork is one of the most aggrivating groups in the entire industrial genre. There's something great here, dammit, but I don't know what it is. It isn't the voice or the metal guitars, and sometimes the lyrics are laughable (Take a listen to celeste for all the proof you need), but there's just something really appealing about this band. There's a level of intensity that you don't find in the cookie cutter world of modern industrial and some really great melodies, and for every "Celeste" they give us an "En Garde" to totally blow us away. It's one of those rare albums that will appeal to Rivetheads who have no interest in metal and metalheads who have no interest in industrial. Seriously, If you are one of those metal guys/girls who think all these electro bands are [garbage], check this one out; you'll be suprised.
So why 3 stars? I have no idea. I'm listening to it right now and enjoying the hell out of it even though I know I shouldn't. A ratings system serves no purpose here; tonight this disc will be on repeat, but by tomorrow I may be pointing and laughing at the goths with their Alpha Omega shirts. Fickle? Possibly, but this is a band that delights in causing wild mood swings.

Each song came out of a cookie-cutter recepie for what an industrial song is supposed to sound like. They are indistinguishable from so many other bands out there, you won't be able to tell the difference between them and say, 80% of the other goth- filler you hear in any club.