DRUNK ROBOTS - We Are The Drunk Robots

Album review by Bloopie

The first thing that comes to mind while listening to experimental group DRUNK ROBOTS is that they've chosen their name wisely. If you've ever wondered what it would sound like for metal to clank against metal in a futuristic world ruled by robots who have had a bit too much to drink, this is as close as you'll get to finding out.The Portuguese outfit kick off their debut album with 'We Came From The Sun', which sounds like a dramatic space ride to a distant future where machinery runs amok. From there on, a raw fusion of industrial/ambient beats make for a chaotic but enjoyable downbeat experience.

Right off the bat, the sound is ominous and alien, seemingly aiming for the darkest borders of the ambient genre wearing a grin. 'Ants Moved To Our Kitchen' and 'Rain Didn't Stop The Party' raise the aggression level up with loud and crunchy industrial beats to set an unnerving mood.The subsequent 'Be Careful With Those Humans' is deceptive, as it offers a sweet celestial tone at first, but by the end of it you are left feeling pummelled by another angry robot. Tasty tunes with dark electro vibes and experimental character ensue as gears shift relentlessly.The tracks rarely seem to fit in the particular order they were arranged in, they stand better individually with each telling its own peculiar tale. It's a salad of strange noises that keeps you interested, even if it all sounds a little too random for its intended order.

There is a mishmash of influences, mostly from the smaller bands who drew inspiration from Front Line Assembly and Brian Eno; while most tracks wouldn't feel out of place in an action-themed post-apocalyptic sci-fi flick, others toy with a soothing atmospheric mellowness, and you never know what's around the corner. If there was meant to be a storyline to this, it's lost in a pile of rubble in a junk yard of malfunctioning robots, but it's a messy and edgy sort of fun that fans of industrial music will appreciate. A personal favourite is the drone-ish but deep "Sunday's Last Cigarette", which signs off the album on a sombre note upon return from this unusual trip to the quirky cosmos, when danger is finally alleviated.

DRUNK ROBOTS' website

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