Powerman 5000 - Transform REVIEW

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Powerman 5000 - transform: C

I think that most of the average listeners in our audience of two know PM5K from their smash CD, Tonight the Stars Revolt -- hell I'll review that while I'm at this.

The latest CD "Transform" is really somewhat of a turn away from it's former sound -- getting stripped down to guitar and drums from all the electro sounds and weird scifi samples -- and it takes on more of a punky tone to my ears which was okay

The trouble with punk is that sometimes lazy ears can't discern one track from another -- and unfortunately that's what happens at about the halfway point of this CD

The standout tracks on this CD are the big single, "Free", the self satiring "Theme to a Fake Revolution", and "Action" from the Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life ... some people also like "Transform", to me that one is kind of blah ... there are other tracks that are okay to listen to as well, but they kind of run into each other after a while

It's a bargain value CD nowadays, and worth a sample on iTunes or where you can find it cheap

And now, for some classic PM5k (as if there's so much of it ... haha, kidding)

Powerman - Tonight the Stars Revolt! REVIEW: B-

I think I first heard songs from this album while the WWF -- (yeah world wildlife fund -- you don't know me at all) -- anyways, it's Sunday Heat program actually featured new heavy music during highlights

This album comes from the vein of Manson -- and some people say it's more Rob Zombie-ish -- well, I think PM5k kind of has a better ear for catchy shit, much like the Reverend and the Spooky Kidz -- although that is not to say that there aren't Rob Zombie moments -- and yes, I know that Rob's bro is in the band -- hell, big bro makes an app in Blast off to Nowhere

When you pop this CD in, if you don't want to mess around -- head directly for "When Worlds Collide" or "Nobody's Real" -- these songs combine weird sound effect elements, with heavy guitar crunch, with catchy melodic sensibility

If I were to describe the typical sound of PM5k on this CD, it is like a modified punk stomp -- you'll know it when you hear it, it's no different than from 25 years ago, just with synths, effects, and heavier guitar

"Nobody's Real", this song is just excellent and stands far above the other tracks -- it's fresh even here in the land of 2k4 -- it's a solid cheesemonging rocker -- what I mean by cheesemonging is that it sounds like a pro wrestler's entrance music, heavy catchy and goofy

And if you want weird, check their ultra robotic heavy cover of the Cars' "Let Good Times Roll" -- it's like Mos Eiseley Cantina shit -- very futuristic and cool to listen to in a quirky way

In the final analysis, this was a CD where a few tracks just blew the others out of the water -- and the spaceman kitsch vibe that plays through the other songs is beginning to sound dated and more miss than hit