Hallucinating

Apartment 26

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 16, 2000)
• Original Release Date: May 16, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Hollywood Records
• ASIN: B00004T934
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #105,049 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Backwards

2. Doing It Anyway

3. Slicebeats

4. Keep You

5. Apt. 26

6. Dusk

7. Hallucinating

8. Fear

9. Basic Breakdown

10. Anymore

11. Bruised

12. Evils

13. Question of Reality

14. Death

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The initial flurry of interest surrounding this band couldn't help but focus on the fact that Apartment 26 are headed by Biff, son of Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler. But this band's sound is far removed from Sabbath's sludge. Tracks like "Doing It Anyway" rub sexy samples, crunching riffs, and Biff's powerful voice into a high sheen. Their Nine Inch Nails-style industrial electro-rock is just as accessible and radio-friendly as anything by their nu-metal peers, but there seems to be more going on behind the polish. Maybe "Keep You" is a little too close to being a Deftones tribute--except for those weird noises in the background. These people obviously spend a lot of time with their sampler. It shouldn't be too long before pedigree is no longer an issue and they're noticed for their own overwhelming noise. --Emma Johnston

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yet Another European Techno-Metal Band, June 15, 2000

By	Amir Tajakin (Orange, California) - See all my reviews

Finally something new has come along in the nu-metal scene. It started with funk, like Primus, Faith No More, and Jane's Addiction. Then it moved on to rap, with Korn, Rage Against the Machine, and Limp Bizkit. Then it sorted to fade into emocore, when the Deftones became popular. Now it has seemed to take another twist, with bands like Pitchshifter, Linea 77, Static-X, and most importantly, Apartment 26.

Taking the less aggressive side of this new trend, this British band use techno breakbeats and various samples rather than hard edged guitars, although the latter is used more than once throughout this disc. The drums are high velocity and energetic, and don't slow down for air. The bass could definitely be louder, and it sounds as if it was produced without an amp. Biff's vocals are great, but still do not match up to Chino Moreno's, Brandon Boyd's, or Max Cavalera's.

The CD is quite long, but much of it is bonus tracks. Another thing I don't like is the use of the band's name in a song, something I've seen with Full Devil Jacket too. Most of the songs have the same kind of breakbeats to them, but there is always a different touch to each of them. Some of my favorites on this album are Doing it Anyway, Keep You, Bruised, Hallucinating, and Dusk.

Apartment 26 are the next new band in what seems like a new wave of European techno-metal bands. Kill II This, Linea 77, Rammstein, and Pitchshifter are all good bands from Europe. If you like your breakbeats and crushing guitars Americanized, check out Static-X, Ultraspank, Powerman 5000, and Dope.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic, and a mysteriously forgotten debut, March 17, 2004

By	David Greenwood "moroboshi" (Hanover, MD United States) - See all my reviews

Sadly, Apartment 26 have been designated critical whipping boys from the get go. Their first album, Hallucinating was one of the most impressive releases from the then current crop of metal/electronic fusion (including bands such as Static-X and Pitchshifter). But their biggest breakthrough was that they didn't rely in industrial textures as much as those others. Instead, they tended to focus on more blips-and-bloops oriented techno, to back up their standard heavy guitar assault (even occasionally wandering into trance(!)). Unfortunately, this was ignored, due to their lead singer being the son of Black Sabbath's Geezer Butler. This led the press to whine about favoritism being the only reason this completely unknown band got a spot on the Ozzfest tour.

The other thing perhaps holding them back then was that the album resolutely avoided any apparent emotion. No angst, ala Korn, and no cathartic rage, ala Static-X. Just really good music, that sounded like a really talented machine couldn't stop spewing forth great beats and melodies.

The best tracks on this album are the high-speed spazz-beat ones, such as the title track, and "Slicebeats". At some moments in these songs, it feels like you're slowly but surely being sucked out through some sort of vortex into a parallel dimension. The band is also reasonably adept at your standard mosh-ready guitar stomp, and when paired with their nice techno twist, a lot of the more generic songs come out sounding better than you'd expect. For the best example of this, check out "Basic Breakdown" with probably the best riff of the entire album. The song "Question of Reality" is without question the most intense track here... sort of sounding like Stabbing Westward on methamphetamines, but MUCH bleaker and heavier.

If there's a complaint I have, it's that the band should have focused more on the electronica and less on the metal, simply because they seem so much better at it. The more melodic, techno interludes are the high points, especially the final minute and a half of "Keep You", and the utterly mind-blowing bridge in "Bruised". But these quibbles are minor in the face of an album that's this much fun to listen to. You can get it cheap now, so give it a shot. It's definitely worth your time.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's about time, May 26, 2000

By	KB (Woodbridge, VA. United States) - See all my reviews

I saw these guys open for Rollins Band about 1 month ago, and I must say they blew my mind. I became an instant fan. Their debut album is an amazing piece of work. Vocals, drums, guitar, bass and electronica mixed very nicely. It's about time new music comes into the scene that's worth listening to! Personal Fave: Backwards, Doing it Anyways, Sliced Beats,Apt. 26 and their first single: Basic Breakdown. This cd is a definate must have!