Black Harvest Zine – THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN “YKIAA” (2005)

Review Source: Black Harvest Zine
Official Site: www.blackharvestzine.com

Artist: THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN
Release: You Knew It All Along
Label: Facility Records

Things Outside The Skin is an “aggro Tech” industrial band (as they define themselves) from Brooklyn. When I read “aggro tech” I naively thought they were using harvesters and tractors mixed with some kind of country music… Obviously I was wrong! “You Knew It All Along” is an industrial metal album containing 22 tracks – 11 songs and 11 remixes. Within the 11 songs there are two covers, “Going Under” by the Mothersbaugh and my favourite track, a very gloomy cover of “Spice Up Your Life” by the Spice Girls (absolutely brilliant!). The rest of are original tracks mixing industrial metal with different genres such as Hip Hop (in the pure American Style) and even Dark Electro (Hocico, Suicide Commando, etc.). Ranging from Harsh Metal to gloomy atmospheres Things Outside The Skin depicts a very dark side of the United states and incidentally our western society with subjects such as crowd manipulation, religion, and corporations. The first part of “You Knew It All Along” is very consistent and will appeal to anyone who likes Pop Will Eat It Self, 16 Volt, and all the like. The second part of the album comprises different mixes of the previous tracks. Unfortunately there isn’t much to say about them, as they just are different versions of the same thing. Nothing is being added or changed… They are as good as the songs but not different at all. All the remixes are following the same pattern as if all the remixer’s had the same influences as the band. To me the remixes are pointless and the album would have been better without. Things Outside The Skin really surprised me with a good third album but unfortunately “You Knew It All” sounds too American and fails to expand on anything interesting with the remixes.

-EVA, 6/10


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