From the mid-Nineties Battery 9, the brainchild of Paul Riekert, held the local rock scene in a tight grip of relentless and provocative industrial beats, often with Afrikaans lyrics, headlining at just about every music event. Albums such as Strop and Protskrog spawned hits like Kiss the Machine. Then Battery 9 decided to take a break.
Now, three years later, we have Sondebok (released by Gallo, no less). “Sondebok” means scapegoat — and, says the band, the album is about a scapegoat, but from the perspective of the goat. Strange indeed, but then Battery 9 has never been middle of the road.
Musically, Riekert obviously realises his original fanclub has aged and he has not been winning any new supporters in the past three years. So Sondebok has a new and different sound, with enough straightforward industrial mayhem to please the original fans (on tracks such as New Heroes, Jy Walg My and the title track), but craftily mixed with dark hip-hop, big beat, dub, techno and more, resulting in a sleeker and seductive sound that is sure to convert any first-time listener to the church of Riekert. There is even a nod to rise of ambient music on the dreamy Kudu Salad (Instead of the Ballad). The lament Kakstraat sounds like classic Johannes Kerkorrel and has a men’s choir as back-up. Lyrically, expect the same wry and satirical observations in Afrikaans and English on the dark side of society.
This is Battery 9, only better. Get it while it’s hot.
A: Hi-Fi Serious (London)
This British group’s third album opens with the hit Nothing, an inspired, attention-grabbing, speaker-blasting rock anthem. However, the rest of the album, a solid mélange of guitar-driven rock and punk rhythms, is more laid-back than one might expect, with the band having a definite Manic Street Preachers flavour on tracks like 6 O’Clock on a Tube Stop. But don’t fear, the happy-jump-up rock stops are pulled out all the way on Pacific Ocean Blue, the title track and others. It’s fun, less serious than Papa Roach and more grown-up than Blink 182. — Riaan Wolmarans
Vanessa Carlton: Be Not Nobody (A&M)
With the stirring piano melody of hit pop ballad A Thousand Miles all over radio charts, this young singer, pianist and songwriter need not fear being a nobody. But does her music have enough backbone to support her fame? This is debatable. Mostly piano-and-vocal tracks, it’s not a weak album, but its naive lyrics don’t count for much and Carlton’s voice is sometimes overpoweringly annoying. There is also a cover of the Rolling Stones’s Paint It Black that sounds like it was recorded at a karaoke bar. Don’t buy this album before listening to it in the shop — you may be disappointed. — Riaan Wolmarans
Various: Blade II: The Soundtrack (Virgin)
Here is an album with more attitude than Wesley Snipes has in the movie. It’s a bunch of collaborations linking the worlds of hip-hop, dance, rap and rock: Moby gets down with Mystikal, Paul Oakenfold is in the groove with Ice Cube; Fatboy Slim and Eve get together; and many more. It’s creative, edgy, loud and laudable. — Riaan Wolmarans