Down Below It's Chaos

Kinski | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2007)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sub Pop
• ASIN: B000SN3WEU
• In-Print Editions: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,246 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

There's a lot to like about Down Below, the Seattle-based noise-rock quartet's seventh full-length. Guitarist Chris Martin adds vocals to the group's highly textured music for the first time. The production--courtesy of Randall Dunn (Boris, Sunn O))), Earth)--is crisp yet dense, but it feels like the group is trying to do too many things at once. But it's a growing pains record, and one that will probably make the most sense in hindsight, after we see where they've gone next. The group's trademark psychedelic, detuned-drone explorations have given way to more sludgy and heavy Sabbath-style riffage, combined with more conventional song structures. That's rarely a bad thing in and of itself. It just doesn't feel like the group fully owns their piece of the doom metal turf yet. Fans will surely enjoy these sonic fireworks, but the rest of us might do best to wait until the next one. Maybe they'll work more with that organ that sounds so righteous on "Child Had to Catch a Train"? One can surely hope. --Mike McGonigal

Product Description

Kinski is a four-piece rock band from Seattle, WA. Their unique evocation of avant-rock is deconstructionist and heady, but also emotive and visceral. NME described Kinski as: Like Sabbath in a washing machine during a power surge. Comprised of guitarists Chris Martin and Matthew Reid-Schwartz (Matthew also plays keyboards and flute), bassist Lucy Atkinson, and drummer Barrett Wilke, Kinski have toured with Mission of Burma, Comets on Fire, Oneida, Mono, Acid Mothers Temple, Black Mountain, and most recently opened a month of dates for Tool on their spring ’07 tour. Produced and recorded by Randall Dunn (Earth, Sunn O))), Boris) at his Aleph Studio in Seattle, Down Below It’s Chaos is Kinski’s 3rd full-length for Sub Pop. With the notable inclusion of 3 songs with subdued yet urgent vocals courtesy of Chris Martin, the new record is a kaleidoscopic mix of Kinski's expansive, over-driven power and intricate beauty. With majestically fuzzed out guitar tones, spare and pounding rhythms, and swirling sonic textures, Down Below It’s Chaos sums up Kinski's past and propels them into the ozone. What's left of it that is.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Kisnki Concedes Some Ground, November 18, 2008

By 

Ellis Swearangin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Down Below It's Chaos (Audio CD)

I guess it was inevitable. It's really f'ing hard to be an instrumental rock band with well mastered records, people seem to need lyrics for some reason and record companies demand extreme average rms volume levels.

In general people seem not to be able to listen to just music, they want to be distracted from it by some inane words they can sing along to. People have to fill up the world with words it seems. It bums me out because I love instrumental music, and wish there was more rock oriented stuff. I find lyrics distracting, and usually really stupid. I guess Kinski resisted the tide for as long as they could, but the concession is not complete as not every song has lyrics and not every moment of the songs that do are filled up with vocals.

As far as the mastering goes, it seems as if they have conceded some ground here as well. (for these comments to make sense you have to know what the loudness war is, go to wikipedia and search for 'loudness war'). Alpine static was mastered really well for a rock album. There were plenty of dynamics and the instruments sounded great and the drums had punch. Top notch. This album sees the mastering slipping into the realm of overcompression and brickwall limiting. So the cd sounds louder than Alpine Static at the same volume, but the drums have lost their punch and the instruments sound deadened and lifeless. Not that this album is an egregious example of an overloud rock cd, for that listen to Californication or Death Magnetic. It's just that it is not as good as the previous effort. To be fair, I haven't listened to the vinyl version, and vinyl is usually mastered with more dynamic range than cd's. Which is weird, because cd's have so much more potential than vinyl. So it looks like Kinski have decided to try to sell some more albums by doing what everyone else is doing. I hope it works for them.

Now onto the music. Like always, the big K provides its fans with some fantastic psyc oriented rock. These guys would have been kings had this been 1973. This stuff has pace, inventiveness, virtuosity, and great melodies aplenty. It stands with some of the best psych rock around, imo. They really deserve more acclaim (I think the addition of some tracks with vocals may help to achieve that).

Personally, I prefer Alpine Static. It sounds better, doesn't have distracting vocals, and is a really great piece of instrumental psych.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars somewhere in the middle, September 12, 2007

By 

Will Blandin (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Down Below It's Chaos (Audio CD)

Down below it's Chaos falls somewhere between the sound of Airs Above Your Station and Alpine Static, yet doesn't quite live up to either of them. That's not to say I wouldn't recommend this album, there are some great songs here, but there seems to be a bit of filler on it also. "Crybaby Blowout" opens things up with a fuzzy Alpine Static sort of feel but somehow leaves you wishing there was more to it. Unlike their last album, this time around there are a few songs with vocals. "Passwords and Alcohol" which is an album highlight, has Chris Martin giving us a sort of Thurston Moore sound to his vocals. "Boy Was I Mad" which easily could have been a B-side from Airs Above Your Station, is easily the best track on the album. Other highlights include "Plan, Steal Drive", "Punching Goodbye Out Front" and "Silent Biker Type". While this may not be Kinski's best release, it's definitely worth picking up. Seeing them live is also a must so don't pass up the opportunity.

3.0 out of 5 stars An Album Sure To Stir Up The Faithful!, April 2, 2011

By 

Misterian (Sandy, OR) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Down Below It's Chaos (Audio CD)

3 1/2 - I find Kinski's dense, intense music so damn interesting! It really pushes the boundaries of music. Their best trait is that they are so unique, and hard to nail down. That is less true on "Down Below It's Chaos." The vocals are sparse and unoffending, but it still represents a big departure for the band. It's really a nice compliment to their music, but kind of pulls the veil on the mystery that was Kinski. They sound just a little more like everyone else here, a little easier to define. I prefer the elusive, unpredictable quality of their previous albums.