Eniac Requiem - Space Eternal Void

Okay, sometimes I buy stuff without listening to it first or having any idea what I'm in for, but c'mon, that's part of the fun isn't it? So when I was walking by the Virgin Megastore, and needed to break a twenty, I quickly scanned the racks and picked up this little gem. It just looked like a Shrapnel album, you know? Imagine my surprise when I got home, opened it up and found out that half the band is from the band Haji's Kitchen (from the "present whereabouts unknown" file). Drummer Rob Stankiewicz and keyboardist (yeah, I know, he was guitarist for HK, so go figure) Brent Stine join Shrapnel guitarist/vocalist Derek Taylor and Brent's bro, guitarist Scott Stine with somebody on bass for this latest Shrapnel experiment.

What kind of music is this? Hmmm... good question. It's got spacey vocals, ripping guitar, moody keyboards (with the occasional Johanssen-inspired solos) and lots of atmosphere. It's like alternative, psychedelic metal (whatever that is).

So, is it good? Well... yeah. It took a while to figure out where it was going, but once it did, it's actually quite listenable. Derek's voice is anything but virtuoso material, but his honest, simple singing is enough to carry the non-instrumental tunes without ruining the experience. What really makes this band worthwhile is the catchy, alternative leanings it has, making the songs more accessible to a wider, though musically-challenged, mainstream audience. Don't get me wrong, I like the stuff, and I'm a sucker for an "infectious pop groove" (I love that quote), but, ER is kinda like that and it isn't. Maybe it's better described as Haji's Kitchen (with Jens Johanssen on keys) on Thorazine but without the Alice In Chains vocals? *shrug*

Notable tracks: Space Eternal Void (most of the others)

The Bottom Line: You know how sometimes you're hangin' around the house on a Sunday, not wanting to face the coming week, but too lazy to go out and do something productive with your leisure time, so you end up just goofin' around the house and jammin' to music without really paying close attention to it or analyzing it with your prog friends - you know kinda like background music for the day, nothing too involved, just catchy, groovin' tunes? Well, this is a great album for that. :)

~Matt Gonzales

Album cover graphic blatantly ripped off from Minstrel Music.