DODSFERD
Cursing Your Will to Live
(Moribund)

THE WARRIORS
Genuine Sense of Outrage
(Victory)

CRUSHING THE
GRINDCORE
TRADEMARK
3-Way Split
(BlastAsFuk)

BLUT AUS NORD
Odinist
(Candlelight)

CREATURE FEATURE
The Greatest Show Unearthed
(Sumerian)

FACE THE PANIC
The Reclamation 

(Reaper)

PHASED
Medeications

(Elektrohasch)

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I know it is unfair and ignorant to make judgment based on image, but with Phased I couldn’t help it. I took a peak at the pretty cover, unfolded the insert and encountered a photo that seemed out of the pages of Men’s Vogue or GQ; three fashionably thin and tall, well-groomed bald men striking somewhat unassuming poses. ‘This is going to suck’. That was my first thought. But I am somewhat familiar with German label Elektrohasch, a bunch who are no strangers to quality, so I gave the band the benefit of the doubt. It was maybe that the picture was too image conscious, plus those jackets must have been expensive. There is something inherently anti-underground rock related to people who like fashion. The sounds were surprising. Surprisingly dense, surprisingly slow, and surprisingly anti-climatic. In other words; a mixed bag of chips. My assumptions that this would not be too good was about 50% confirmed.

The trio known as Phased presents itself as a band that plays ‘psychedelic deathrock’. A pretty cool sounding tag if you ask me.  Mentions of Hawkwind pop up in places when you Google this band up and deservedly so, their sound constantly veers into the spacey sci fi allegorisms and the same type of sound effects that worked so well for those Brits back in the 70’s are in use throughout Medications.  Throw in some doom to ground the band’s sound (opener “Worship the Sun” is pure blunt disgruntled Sabbath worship) and you got Medications; an album that unfortunately is too so-so to recommend. My first problem with Phased is the vocals which come in that commandeering manner that is about three fourths Germanic and one fourth slappable in the face with your dick. My second problem with this album is the music which lacks invention, grooves and that all around sincere fucked up derangement that Hawkwind knew all too well how to exploit.  Phased has been together for about ten years, and it was initially known as Phased 4°F. Medications is their third full-length and if their lean bodies confirm their healthy attitude towards life, for music’s sake all I can recommend is ‘dudes, do some mild drugs’.

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