Circus Devils – When Machines Attack

 

Circus Devils – When Machines Attack

By

Jesse E. Mullen

 

Doing soundtrack work for film or television is a difficult enterprise. Oftentimes, a musician will only see a rough cut or workprint of a film while he or she works. It’s not for neophytes. Making soundtracks for fake horror movies is even harder.

When Circus Devils released two albums on the same day in October 2013, fans had to be anxiously waiting for what creepy sounds were to come. The trio were comprised of instrumentalists – and brothers – Todd and Tim Tobias, as well as vocalist Robert Pollard.

Pollard is best known as singer/songwriter for the Dayton, Ohio band Guided By Voices. But his work with Circus Devils allowed him to stretch out into more experimental territory. Their debut 2001’s Ringworm Interiors got positive attention, not only for how well it aped horror movie soundtrack sounds from the 60s and 70s, but how it expanded on them.

With Todd Tobias assuming the role of producer, an endless array of found sounds were at the band’s disposal. Sure, there was a Lynchian and Polanskian feel to the material, but there were also echoes of the noise rock and experimental music put out by Chicago’s Touch and Go records in the 80s and 90s.

Since then, the band had gone onto all kinds of fascinating territory. They made concept albums about fictional characters (2002’s Harold Pig Memorial), double albums (2007’s Sgt. Disco) and even ventured into acoustic territory (2009’s Gringo.) It seemed like the musical possibilities for Circus Devils were endless.

So, on that fateful day in October when two Circus Devils albums were released, anticipation must have been high for whatever concepts would be followed next. One of the two albums was titled When Machines Attack. It was a sort of concept album about a dystopian future where technology rebelled against its creators. But how did it stack up?

Turns out, pretty well! After a so-so opener in “Beyond The Sky,” the listener is treated to the brilliantly unhinged noise rock of “You’re Not A Police Car.” Pollard shouts cryptic lyrics about a car chase as a siren wails. The Tobias brothers cook up another sizzling instrumental with pounding drums and thin trebly guitars.

It sounds both apocalyptic and cathartic, not unlike David Yow’s work with The Jesus Lizard. Speaking of The Jesus Lizard, “Bad Earthman” evokes their early noise rock sound with Pollard’s growling vocals and Todd Tobias producing in the style of Steve Albini.

With stop-start drums and bass, and a mean guitar, Pollard almost croons in a bass range while spooky sound effects pop in during the chorus. Once again, Todd Tobias is in fine form. His drumming is inspired, alternately sounding tight like John Bonham, and freewheeling like Keith Moon.

“Idiot Tree” is something completely different. While the previous two tracks had a sort of “controlled-chaos” approach, “Idiot Tree” is tight post-punk in the spirit of The Fall. The drums, bass and guitars even echo the rhythm and riff of “Totally Wired.”

Pollard is prolific in the same gargantuan proportion that Smith was, so the comparison is not just musical but also philosophical. Writer Jeff Gomez compared Pollard’s approach to that of an athlete, writing that “athletes are great on the aggregate, and so is Pollard.” It’s a fitting comparison, as Pollard once pitched a no-hitter.

Elsewhere, we have the trippy but heavy electronica sounds of “Blood Dummies.” Amazingly the Tobias brothers manage to keep things fresh production wise, sounding a bit like early Gorillaz but wholly their own.

Jungle sounds percolate from both speakers while synths screech. Sequenced electric piano and electronic drums are joined by the psychedelic sounds of marimba. It is both evocative of being lost in a rainforest and chilling in a dark club.

If there is one knock against the song, it’s Pollard’s vocal. It sounds a bit too much like drunken rambling, but thankfully his contributions to the song are minimal. He is in fine voice elsewhere on the album, so one bad vocal can be forgiven.

The title track is goth-y post-punk with tribal drumming resembling “The Hanging Garden” by The Cure. In fact, the apocalyptic vibe of the music and the lyrics evoke the “hell on earth” feeling of the entire Pornography album. However, unlike Robert Smith – who sang about chemical dependence and fractured relationships – Pollard goes for the supernatural.

The song is central to the concept of technology taking over the human race – with machines that literally attack. And the music matches the desperation of the theme. The bassline is interesting in particular locking in with Todd Tobias’ furious pounding. The mix also offers a claustrophobic effect with the left and right stereo channels closing in on the listener.

“Johnny Dart” is a fascinating number. It features a stop start rhythm guitar with compressed, distorted bass. Thundering drums by Todd Tobias crash around the chaos, and Pollard – oddly reserved – speak-sings the title ad nauseum. Although it never overstays its welcome, it’s not worth repeated listens. It is a lot of fun in the context of the album though.

A strange song that works better is “Doberman Wasps.” It features a crunchy guitar riff, flanked by electronic percussion and real drums by Tobias. Pollard’s vocal in the chorus is almost percussive itself. He repeats each word several times (i.e., “me me me me”), and it has the feeling of a man-made echo/delay effect.

Perhaps “Wizard Hat Lost In The Stars” is the most sentimental song on the album. A slow detuned arpeggiated guitar plays a beautiful melody. Pollard sings in his sweetest upper register, and his lyrics are just as moving as his delivery. They are charming in their stark simplicity.

“It’s going nowhere” he repeats in the key of e major. It has the vibe of a mid-70s heavy metal ballad. The kind of song where a loud band shocked its listeners by displaying a talent for playing quietly. Not the highest of highs – as we will see – but definitely a highlight.

The mostly instrumental “The Lamb Gets Even” is another highlight. It’s trippy arpeggiated guitars and spooky Moog synthesizers make it sound like the intro to a Roman Polanski film. The ambient noises Todd Tobias conjures makes it easy to picture an establishing shot of a haunted apartment building or creepy woodlands.

But “Centerverse” is where it all comes together. It is almost a hybrid of the early tracks’ sounds with the sound of “Lamb Gets Even.” (Pounding noise rock meets spooky synths.) The passionate shouted vocal from Pollard towards the end really makes the track. The track proves he could front a heavy metal band if he wanted.

With When Machines Attack, Circus Devils turned in an album equally as fascinating as Ringworm Interiors, Gringo, or Sgt. Disco. It may not have gotten the attention of those records – AllMusic didn’t even have one of its writers review it – but it proved that the Tobias brothers and Pollard could still come up with unique and exciting ideas.

Happy Jack/2013