Posted: February 3, 2008
Contributed By: Nick

	Purchase @ iTunes Release Date: October 23, 2007 via Corporate Punishment
	Victory Pill is: Jim Davies (Vocals / Guitar) Kieron Pepper (Bass) Pete Crossman (Programming / Synthesizers) Alex Baker (Drums)

Overview: The irony of this band in relation to myself is rather humorous. Back in the fifth grade, I was intrigued by this band called the Prodigy, who, at the time, were riding on the heels of their album ‘The Fat of the Land‘; the album was moving units left and right, thanks in large part to the straightforward, yet condemned and controversial lyrics of the song “Smack My Bitch Up”. Of course, bucking “the system” was cool to me back then, so I went out and bought the CD on instinct alone. Not too long after that, I was in the record store, and I heard a song called “Genius” on the in-house player that absolutely ripped me to shreds. The band behind the chaos was Pitchshifter, a scathing industrial rock band from across the pond, and I threw down that week’s allowance and bought ‘www.pitchshifter.com’. Upon arriving home that day, my mom, who would not allow a “Parental Advisory” album in the house until I was 14, discovered the Prodigy album and was infuriated; so much so, that she stripped both the aforementioned album, as well as my newly acquired Pitchshifter disc and deep sixed them hastily. What does any of that drivel have to do with Victory Pill you may ask? Jim Davies, founding member of Victory Pill, was once in both of the previously mentioned acts. After piecing together the band in 2004, he and the boys quickly got down to work on the group’s shiny new tunes. Corporate Punishment seized the opportunity to ink the synth-rock stalwart and his new act, inking the band and shipping them out on tours with bands such as Static-X and Skindred to name a few; in the fall of ‘07, the label released Victory Pill’s eponymous debut.

The Good: If you were ever a fan of Prodigy or Pitchshifter at one time or another, then you will dig much of the content on ‘Victory Pill‘; despite aping on his prior projects, Davies and company offer a litany of twists and turns that will keep the listener craving the next song, and the next, beginning with the visceral energy of the raw and pulsating “Downfall.” Victory Pill may squeeze elements from the two “previous P’s” (Peter picked a pack of pickled, ok I won’t do that to you…), but the band also reminds me strongly of Helmet gone industrial. Davies even sounds akin to a synth-addled Page Hamilton, and the band’s resemblance to Helmet can be best heard in grungy, spacey forcefulness of “Another Clone”, which also incorporates ethereal goth/cathedral-ish effects. ‘Victory Pill‘ hop-scotches back to the 1980’s with the moody and springy “Thin Line”, then jumps right back to modern time with the more modern rock inspired “Worst Case Scenario”; although the band arguably treads a more digestible, “mainstream” path here, they remain true to their sound and approach, never jettisoning their industrial rock nature. One of the more unique cuts from ‘Victory Pill‘ comes in the form of “Red Pill”, an exploratory song bolstered by Arabian or Egyptian flavored overtones which gives the song an undeniable vibe. The back end of the album is peppered with galvanizing catalysts, such as the dynamic powerhouse showcased in the driving and urgent “Set in Stone”, as well as “Wasted on Me”, a punk-soaked anthem that is as bouncy as it is free-flowing and enveloping. ‘Victory Pill‘ sets with “Scaremonger”, a meaty, booty shakin’ tune that, complete with haunting and sinister accouterments, finishes things off with a bang. ‘Victory Pill‘ is more potpourri than its predecessors in the “previous P’s”, throwing fans of everything from Devo to Helmet to Fatboy Slim to Kill Hannah a bone to gnaw on.

The Bad: I give the band credit, like I said, for when they took a clearly more approachable song in “Worst Case Scenario” and made it their own, but despite remaining steadfast to their niche, Victory Pill often times sounds rigid and structured, lacking in range and tonal quality where it excels in electivity. Songs such as “King and Country” and “Free-Fall”, although rather expressive and heartfelt, and fiery and combative respectively, sound stuck somewhere in the synth-rock realm of the bulk of the album; whether intentional or not, this suppresses many moments on the disc where Victory Pill seemed ready to really spread its wings, instead clipping them to keep the band ever-so closely rooted in the predisposed nature of the album. Vocally, Jim Davies is no patron saint, as his sludgy and somewhat monotonous vocal delivery bruises the disc a bit, turning some of the band’s more poignant and soulful moments into forgettable karaoke-dipped tirades.

Bottomline: I never did get my Prodigy and Pitchshifter albums back, but even as a decade or so has whizzed by since they heyday of the…”previous P’s”, the music stork has bestowed upon me Victory Pill’s debut, an album that has as much fresh air as it does nostalgic quality. Fans of today’s industrial-rock titans like Static-X, Marilyn Manson, and Mushroomhead will appreciate a new contestant in the ring, while aficionados of bands in the wake of Family Force 5, Clear Static, and Blaqk Audio will be enthralled with a group that adds some Tabasco to the fracas. The only major setback for Victory Pill is the stiffness the album tends to emanate after a few spins; while succinct and astutely performed at the core, the band’s music sounds a smidgen too rehearsed, lending a chunk of the songs to sound like reiterated sequels of prior tunes. Nevertheless, Victory Pill is one of the few bands to capture what Static-X continuously fails to do in fulfilling its mantra of “keeping disco evil”, as the album would be a perfect prom night soundtrack for Frankenstein, Count Chocula, and Sleestak; despite that grisly scenario, the band still make sure to win over fans of a slew of crossover genres, needing only to loosen the bolts a bit to win over legions more down the road.

Rating: 7/10

Rating: 7 out of 10