| ATARI TEENAGE RIOT
60 SECOND WIPE OUT ALBUM DIGITAL HARDCORE RELEASE: MAY 19, 1999 REVIEW: JULY 22, 1999 
Atari Teenage Riot's last album, "The Future of War", was so loud and noisy that it was almost unbearable. The breakbeats seemed to have went through a dozen fuzzboxes and the sampled guitars were distorted to the maximum. The new album "60 Second Wipe out" is actually somewhat more refined. Maybe this is due to the aid of mixer Andy Wallace, who has worked with everyone from Nirvana to Front 242. Maybe they have just decided to take a different approach. No matter what, they sound better than ever. They still make the most political techno punk ever. But the frenzied, distorted jungle beats have mostly been replaced with more straightforward rhythms. Atari Teenage Riot have also found a slightly funky pulse that hasn't been present before. The guitars sound better as well. And the addition of a new member - noise maker and sampler player Nic Endo - was definitely a good move. Endo, who released the fabulous solo noise EP "White Heat" last year, adds swirling cascades of white, jagged noise to many of the songs. The opening track "Revolution Action" is an irresistible piece of electronic punk and possibly the best song Atari Teenage Riot have ever made. But there is a whole load of other highlights on this album. In "Death of a President D.I.Y.!", Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares adds some extra guitars to the impenetrable wall of sound. The fabulous "Your Uniform (Does Not Impress Me!)" sees D-Stroy performing an anarchistic rap about fascist policemen. "Western Decay" is a slow, funky song with dystopic tunes. All and all, "60 Second Wipe out" is like a large, hellish machine. It bites the neck of Ministry's dull "The Dark Side of the Spoon" and kicks conservative punk rock bands like Bad Religion straight to Armageddon. KRISTOFFER NOHEDEN |
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