BRAIN: my review of Denial of Death -- will by BrainTrust stature be revoked?

[Jason Scruton]

Hi gang/compatriots/strangers/list-denizens,

For a few weeks now I've been struggling to figure something out about the
Denial of Death.  On second thought, strike that.

For a few weeks now I've been struggling to figure out how I get along with
Denial of Death.  When I first gave it spin-time,
I had written,"The previous tBS albs are more like laboratories of heavy
expressions, but they're not as singularly successful
with just ONE style as on DoD.  It's very different for that same reason.
Very cool, by my book."

This sentence was a bit biased, 'cause I'd had been bitten by the
enthusiasm I felt when hearing a few  of the tracks in a live
setting previously.  my quote from myself was based p[rimarilu on those
tracks. I do definately love a few tracks.

But....

not the whole.   and this BUGS ME TO NO END.

It tears me up to know that after 5 days or so in my CD player, I've
already put the disc away in favor of Funkadelic's
  first album and a compilation of Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac.    I've
been trying to figure out the 'why' behind such
a lukewarm reaction.    Lyrically, I feel that this material is quite
spot-on.   Musically, the disc has the intensity and
passion that I expect from the Brain Surgeons,...

I don't know.  want I can put together is this so far:

Past members of tBS's catalogue always left me guessing and wanting to see
where the tune and the album
  were going.  DoDeath is tightly focussed on one style. VERY tightly
focussed.  Yes, it rocks. that is true
  and heads will indeed bob and sway to the disc. Many have done so
already.  Hell, at CBGBs I cut the rug, too.
LIve settings are always different beasts, though.

Perhaps I'm taking this all too seriously. I don't know, but this disc
feels... predictable to a higher degree than I'm
accustomed to from any Surgeon effort in the past.  That leaves me cold.

Some tracks are great twists in line with what I love about the band (i'd
says 3 are all-time greats), but  it's not a
majority.   I'm sad because I truly would like to follow tBS 's foray down
the path  they blaze this time...

Or maybe the answer's simpler:  this kind of metal isn't my cup of
coffee.  The band I love like brothers and sisters, but the style of DoD is
alien to me.

I need a whiskey.  I feel I've let the team down.

Jason.