WITCHMAN VERSUS JAMMIN UNIT
INFERNO
ALBUM INVISIBLE RELEASE: APRIL 15, 1999 REVIEW: MAY 22, 1999
John Roome a k a Witchman has done some refreshing drum'n'bass productions in the past. But when he teams up with Jammin Unit on the new album "Inferno", he largely leaves the hyper energetic jungle rhythms behind him. "Inferno", which is partly based on the Jammin Unit album "Deaf, Dub & Blind", rather emphasizes Witchman's darker sides, being mostly pure dub. Some of the songs, "Ice Is Blue" with its acoustic guitar and spooky melodies in particular, are really good. And when some chilling synth chords hit the speakers in "Suburban Pt 1" they contrast magnificently with the warm bass.
What pulls this album down a bit, is the fact that it is way too long (nearly an hour) to keep the listener's attention up throughout. Besides this, the echo effects and the deep bass lines that are so important in dub tend to feel a bit unimaginative and uninspired in the long run. But as mood music in the background, this album works extremely well.
KRISTOFFER NOHEDEN