Snog -- Third Mall From The Sun -- Metropolis Records

Released
August 1999

Label
Metropolis Records

Reviewed by
Jason X

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Last Edit/Update
02 October, 1999

Snog

Third Mall From The Sun

Track Listing

1. Late Twentieth Century Boy
2. Are You Normal Enough?
3. Real Estate Man
4. Slide Into Extinction
5. Is The No-one That Can Save Us From Today?
6. The Last Diamond
7. Mind and Purpose
8. Land of the Bland
9. The Universe
10. State Rape
11. Business As Usual
12. The Grey Menace
13. Old Atlantis
14. Third Mall From the Sun
15. Fanfare For the Common Man/Woman

David Thrussell, the vigilant super-power behind Snog and the mastermind of such politically-correct songs such as Corporate Slave and Born To Be Mild has once again unleashed a product of genius onto the masses. Third Mall From the Sun continues in Snog's tradition of delivering to us what would happen if corporations continued to dominate our way of life. Within this album, the lyrics speak for themselves while still retaining that industrial flavor to help propel Snog's declaration of independence from the corporate world. Here is a sampling of what to find on this album:

      "Yes...brother and sisters, for here it is...a labour of love, a thing of beauty, musics spun from the golden thread by teams of dedicated crafts people deep inside saline bunkers and high atop misty mountain precipes.
      Rejoice...for though they scream it from their towers, you are not alone. Indeed..you...who are a victim of the modern age...you...who just wasn't made for these times, despair not. The songs contained herein are sure to warm even the dankest passageways of your heart. Dug from the rarest of earths and polished by the most loving of hands, grown and nurtured tenderly amongst isolated villages of cerebral nudists, you hold a gift from our soul to yours...."
                      -The International Mind Control Corporation staff robot JQ 217/B

              The first track has a hip-hop beat with a bit of Snog flavour added to the mix which more than complements the song. A bass is added into the song for good measure to create a funky, ethereal feel. Also added are bits of generic sample bits like those from the days when Colecovision was the current trend. The next track has a groovy feel in that it has a spacey background with breakbeats. David's vocals resonate through the song as if a cybernetic version of Death was speaking. Track three combines David's voice with robotic reverb to make this song sound like a cybernetic thrill-ride. The music itself resmbles an almost Kraftwerk-ian sound to it. Slide Into Extinction has a rock tone to it. With crushing guitar sampling and breakbeats, it almost presents itself as a KMFDM song if it were not for the Atari Teenage Riot-ish disruptions usual found within the songs. Why at the end of the song, we are treated to a "Hallelujah!" chorus.
    Track five is an acoustic guitar track with some harsh sonic percussion mixed in. An organ grinds in the background while an evil wedding takes place. The Last Diamond begins with a funny sample about Tarzan not being able to read. For some reason this track sounds like a mix between The Beastie Boys and Beck. It must be the robotic voice that was found on that Beastie song, Intergalactic. Track seven has a bossa-nova sound with a bit of Western lounge thrown in. It features a duet with a female vocalist and mellows throughout the song.
    The next track begins on a noisey and distorted path, but then sounds almost like Born To Be Mild, and then returns to it's distortion. The samples sound like they were taken from Insane Clown Posse! The Universe explodes right away with the EBM sound. With guitar in the background, it sounds well executed to dance to. Perhaps this is another club classic, but is not as boot stomping as Corporate Slave! State Rape returns to David's use of hip-hop influenced beats mixed with groove electronics. The outcome is a head-bobbing experience that will also make you pull out glow sticks to the eerie screeches. The next track also has a hip-hop beat, but is added with a deep bass line. Both help bring about the message of Business As Usual being, well, business as usual! Track twelve contains an electronic sitar mixed with dramatic synth to create a Middle Eastern influenced electronic sound. Also included is a tasty sample of a man describing frog gourmet. Yummy! It melds perfectly into the next track which mellows a bit, but still has bits of broken electronics. On Old Atlantis, David sings the song like Johnny Cash. His deep mellow voice flows through the prairies of the world now dominated by corporations. As Third Mall From the Sun begins, it is almost like being hauled away on a subway to that glamourous outlet of chain stores. It has an eerie sound that makes you want to close your eyes and envision yourself walking aimlessly through a mall. Manipulated and brainwashed, you are forced into buying all of these glamorous products that are fed to your mind. Trying so desperately escape, soda cans and designer sneakers follow in your footsteps with their marching chant of, "Buy Me! Buy Me!" The last track is a message from the International Mind Control Corporation(IMCC). With that familiar song which can usually be heard in brochure videos, it has a classic nuevo feel to it.
     While you were listening to this album, you were actually being brainwashed. The IMCC had you in their grip all along. With all that nonsense aside, Third Mall From the Sun is well executed. Although I found a few gripes with the disruptions and distortions, I had an enjoyable time listening to this recording. Although presented in a humorous fashion, the message of Snog has truth to it's tales. With corporate mergers taking place and the standard of living increasing, the fate of our lives is controlled by these major conglomerates. Our entire society is based on their products, and there is no escape from them. If you can't beat them, join them and remember to shop at the Third Mall From the Sun. Thank you and we appreciate your business!