Pin-Up Went Down
2 Unlimited

A demerit I have often found in "avant-garde" metal bands is their tendency to excessively overload their compositions with too many shifts in rhythm and genre, in a way diluting the essence of the songs, making them lack a fundamental framework and turning them simply into a collection of disconnected musical ideas.

This is not the case with the debut of the French duo Pin-Up Went Down. Formed by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Alexis Damien and singer Asphodel, in the 13 tracks that make up their debut, the two of them practice a genuine "kaleidoscopic metal" where each song is infused with a certain atmosphere and musical genre. Do not be surprised therefore to be introduced with "Intrusion" to a gothic and lyrical atmosphere, with piano, strings, and Asphodel's operatic voice, followed by "Esthete Piggie", a sort of lyrical thrash (?) and further followed by the jazzy, funky metalcore (!) of "Nearly Dead Bat Make Up" complete with a delightful citation of Marilyn Manson and Faith No More. But this album hides surprises in every track, from "Pussy Worship", metal as Christina Aguilera would play it, to the crazy vocal samples of "Human Beat Box Deluxe". Credit must be given to the two members: Alexis is a wizard at playing practically every instrument, blending them differently each time depending on the atmosphere he intends to recreate, and he is also commendable in his solo role (listen to the bass solo in "Nearly Dead Bat Make Up") and has an excellent growl, while Asphodel indulges in her versatile voice, effortlessly shifting from operatic tones to those of an innocent child, up to vocalizations resembling a cat...

I don't want to further spoil the pleasure of surprise for you, but I will remind you how every episode of this extraordinary album is splendidly listenable and "pop" in the broadest sense of the word and the entire work seems more like a compilation of different bands rather than an album. Discover it and enjoy, you won't regret it!

RATING = 8.5