This Melbourne duo certainly have a ‘throw everything at it, up-to-and-including the kitchen sink’ approach to making an album. Having fewer members to please and placate than the typical band, creatively Over-Reactor obviously simply let it all hang out musically, and do whatever they hell they want to do. The band, for the uninitiated, are Ezekiel Ox, the indomitable former frontman of the dearly departed Mammal (as well as other increasingly myriad musical and artistic projects), and Cory Blight, co-founder and drummer for Dukes Of Windsor.
Having said that, however, this album being a compilation of the most choice cuts from their first two records, features some of the more straight ahead rock, punk and metal tunes from those previous releases. ‘Straight ahead’, of course, being a relative term in this instance (as with most releases associated with Ox). The overriding vibe of this album is one of, quite simply, ‘rocking the hell out’, with a few tasteful moments of hip hop, electronic and goth thrown in. And, surprisingly, virtually all of it works a treat.
It also possesses a quirky edge, with songs about Doogie Howser and ‘Nu Metal Mortherfuckers’ and the political lyrical undertones are forceful, but at the end of it all, this is an album that will please fans of hard rock, flat-knackered punk and groove-based metal no end. There’s so much going on over the course of its 16 tracks, it’s hard to keep track of. Even The Living End’s Chris Cheney bobs up, shredding out bluesy lead breaks over the idiosyncratic groove of Something More.
Hell, even the title of this album is something of a piss-take, as well as an acknowledging play on words. The cover depicts bizarre scenarios featuring babies, robots and baseball bats. Over-Reactor are a band who know exactly what they’re doing, are very much doing it their own way, and don’t really give a shit who they might possibly offend doing it. Lose Your Delusion is an unconventional gem of a record.
Best track : The Chemical Sound
If you dig these, you’ll like this : The Aural Underground MAMMAL, It’s A War DUKES OF WINDSOR
In a word : Individual
ROD WHITFIELD
