ARTIST: The (International) Noise Conspiracy
TITLE: The Cross of My Calling
LABEL: Vagrant/American
GENRE: Rock
BITRATE: 233kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 49m total
RELEASE DATE: 2008-11-25
RIP DATE: 2008-10-28
Track List
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1. Intro 2:08
2. Assassination of Myself 3:28
3. Dustbins of History 2:30
4. Arm Yourself 3:22
5. Hiroshima Mon Amour 3:30
6. Boredom of Safety 2:58
7. Child of God 4:58
8. Interlude 1:41
9. I Am The Dynamite 3:37
10. Washington Bullets 2:26
11. Satan Made the Deal 3:06
12. Storm the Gates of Beverly 3:34
Hills
13. Black September 3:07
14. Cross of My Calling 8:38
Release Notes:
I can't believe they got Rick Rubin! Enjoy!
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Spearheaded by Rick Rubin and created in the same Sunset Sound studio where The
Doors recorded most of their acclaimed catalog, The (International) Noise
Conspiracy's fourth full-length is a bunker-buster of compassion and activism
aimed straight for your heart and brain.
Set to explode during one of the most critical political periods in postmodern
history, The Cross of My Calling is the sound of a global society steps away
from apocalypse. Whether it's the epic title track, the anti-moralism of "Child
of God," the neocon smackdown of "Black September", the compromised ideals of
"Dustbins of History" or the call-to-arms against overconsumption found in
"Washington Bullets" and "Storm the Gates of Beverly Hills," the band's latest
effort is packed with warning, and amplified by passion.
"Rick likes the fact that we are very political," explains vocalist Dennis
LyxzΘn, "especially in times like these. Labels want you to tone down the
politics, but Rick recognizes that it's what makes us stand out. But we also
recognize the industry is on shaky ground because of that, which is why it's so
cool to have someone like Rick believe in you." After his former band - the
seminal hardcore act Refused - broke up, LyxzΘn founded The (International)
Noise Conspiracy and the group has delivered unrestrained critiques of
capitalism, soundtracking our slide into terror, hyperreality and narcotized
apathy since 1998. Featuring ferocious songs sequenced from the genes of rock,
jazz, art, punk and protest, Survival Sickness, A New Morning, Changing Weather
and the Rubin-helmed Armed Love have mashed revolutionary theory and kinetic
sonics into a hybrid solution as intelligent as it is danceable. "We've worked
hard for a long time, but its a tough world to get by in. Anything that doesn't
fit the mold scares the music industry," elaborates LyxzΘn. "We know how this
world works; that's just the way it is."
Rubin's ear managed to bring out the best in The (I)NC's latest batch of songs,
which broadly cover challenging territory. The urgent noise of opener
"Assassination of Myself" is "ultimately about the deconstruction of the male
identity, about being told what it is to be a man," LyxzΘn says. That
self-actuation forms a thematic center for The Cross of My Calling.
LyxzΘn, guitarist Lars Str÷mberg, bassist Inge Johansson and drummer Ludwig
Dahlberg ignite on the breakneck "Arm Yourself.ö "We all sit here and talk about
revolution," LyxzΘn says, "but how far are we ready to go, to transform it into
something real?"
Meanwhile, the soulful stomp of "Boredom of Safety" takes the convenience and
comfort of success apart, with the help of backing vocals from The BellRays'
powerhouse Lisa Kekaula, who also shows up on the hard-charging atheist anthem
"I Am the Dynamite." "She's pretty amazing," LyxzΘn says of Kekaula. "I've been
a singer for awhile, but once she came in, I was like, 'I suck.'" Of course,
given the setting, it makes sense that the ghost of The Doors also makes an
appearance. The brooding, cathartic organ solo on "Child of God" is a faithful
iteration of the same organ solo found on The Doors' chilled epic "Riders on the
Storm." LyxzΘn's poignant chorus "When the music stops" on the multi-hued
movements of the title track tips its hat to Jim Morrison's apocalyptic "When
the Music's Over." "We're not going to lie," admits LyxzΘn. "It was total
homage."
The allusions deepen the farther you go. The jagged funk of "Hiroshima Mon
Amour" conjures Alain Resnais' French New Wave classic, in much louder fashion.
The scorching blues riff of "I Am the Dynamite" capably channels the racist
dystopia of Alan Parker's film Mississippi Burning.