Burn Out At The Hydrogen Bar - Chemlab
In 1993, Industrial band Chemlab released an album which set high standards for Machine Rock projects worldwide. This album, Burn Out At The Hydrogen Bar, is widely regarded as one of the most influential cult industrial records to date, and is characterised by its hard hitting drum machine use, howling vocals and drug influenced sounds.
Burn Out is bounded together by “sutures”, which link the tracks together. It works really well and gives you a chance to mull over the previous song. “First Suture” kicks off the album with some creepy schoolgirl samples, leading into the first real track, “Codeine, Glue and You”. Jagged synth lines characterise this track, giving it a very melancholic feel. When the track breaks down into the lyrically distorted “Don’t hate sex” verse, it made me feel dizzy, and that if I try reach out and touch my surroundings, they simply would not be. In fact, that is what “Codeine, Glue and You” is all about: distorted reality. When Jared gruffly howls “Like a shot of speedway methadrine coming on like a hot-head machine,” it could not be more appropriate to the track’s atmosphere. I almost felt the shot run through my veins; white hot.
The next song, “Suicide Jag”, has a very aggressive feel, mostly due to its lyrics. It also is the first track on the album to reference monarchy and power: a theme that runs through the album, with a political undertone. The buzzsaw guitar work complements the industrial samples which flow well through the track. “Chemical Halo” is a track heavy on drum machinery, setting a fast pace. The synth work is very pleasing to the ears during the chorus, and it has become apparent that synthesizer and guitar work together almost perfectly on this album. Lyrically, this song is all about pain and hopelessness (“Pain infliction and drug addiction.”). It creates a feeling of trapped desperation, and that frustration which borders on violence which we have all felt once in our lives.
At the midpoint of the album, “Neurozone” is an ominous track with opens with the angular sample “In the bureaucracy, any individual that thinks for herself is considered a hooligan, or a smartass, or a know-it all, or a troublemaker,” mixed with rich synth lines. This fast paced track references the blurred side of politics bitterly: “You wanna see clearly, now. You better cover up your eyes”, and yet again references kings and drug addiction. Chemlab reaffirms its abstract style in this song, with swarms of buzzing synth and questionable existence. Next up, “Elephant Man” is a track that is nothing but melancholic… It is a song all about feelings, madness and frustration that is deliberately made to be difficult to relate to: “You don’t understand what it feels like to be the Elephant Man.” A certain guitar riff played periodically sounds like a scream, echoing the theme of insanity and grief which characterizes “Elephant Man.”
“Third Suture” links to a rough, ‘attack on the ears’ track called “Rivet Head.” The vocal filter used translates Jared’s vocals into snarls which grind the eardrums in the best possible way. This track is one of the best for drum machine use in the entire genre to me… A very varied pace keeps the engine flowing smoothly: from a consistent background beat to one so fast that no live drummer could replicate. “Rivet Head” is a true assault on the senses.
Towards the end of the album, “Derailer” opens with a sample of a death threat over gang territory, which is very appropriate for the pace and tone of the track. The drum beat is consistently fast, keeping the insane feel of the track in place. Lyrically, the song focuses once more on hard drugs “This poison feels like heaven.” It has become apparent to me why they dubbed their work “Angel-Dustrial.” Closing track “Summer of Hate” opens with menacing, heavy guitar riffs. It is the first track where the listener feels free… The rest of the album’s atmosphere reeked of frustration and encaged anger, and it’s all let out in “Summer of Hate.” It made me feel relieved, as I had been sharing Jared’s experiences throughout the album, and felt like a great release. The final track fades to nothing with Jared shouting “Hate!” The true theme of this album in my eyes is all the frustration and melancholy building up to a satisfying release, an orgasm of violence if you will.
If you haven’t heard Burn Out At The Hydrogen Bar yet, pick it up. It’s a damn shame to miss out one of the best cult Machine Rock albums out there, and one of the most influential ones, too.
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