Review: The Medullary Paralysis - We Don't Drink, We Don't Take Drugs, We Don't Have Sex, We Feel Compassion

The Medullary Paralysis - We Don't Drink, We Don't Take Drugs, We Don't Have Sex, We Feel Compassion
2009, The Medullary Paralysis

Italy’s The Medullary Paralysis is here with their debut EP, We Don’t Drink, We Don’t Take Drugs, We Don’t Have Sex, We Feel Compassion. We Don't Drink… opens with Compassion On The Dance Floor, a heavy techno/electrohouse number with ambient and pop elements. The song is absolutely mind-numbing at the right volume; the sort of music where you can get lost in the layers (with the right help). Fashion Slave takes a bit of Nine Inch Nails industrial and expounds on it, variation style. The heavy rock feel means this song would have a chance to cross over from club land to some free-thinking metal fans as well. The EP closes out with Heaven Forbid; Frenetic, rapid-fire rhythms on an industrial base with synth infusing a hint of ambience over the top. Heaven Forbid is the most cogent recording on the disc, but still gets mired in a wall of sound resulting from an attempt to do too much.

Herein lies the weakness of The Medullary Paralysis. There seems to be a need to fill every space, every second with sound, preferably with melt-your-face intensity. They are quite good at what they do, but there is a lack of contrast or dynamic that starts to become apparent on a three-song EP and would likely become a glaring concern on a full-length release. Even the occasional brush with minimalist conceptualization would maximize the potential of what The Medullary Paralysis is trying to do here. We Don't Drink... is a fine opening salvo, but I want to see what else they've got.

Rating: 3 Stars (Out of 5)

You can learn more about The Medullary Paralysis at http://www.themedullaryparalysis.com/ or www.myspace.com/themedullaryparalysis. Copies of We Don’t Drink... are available for download on Bandcamp on a pay-what-you-want scheme.