Cybozz - Horrorscope

If the general principles of judging a book by its cover are to be followed, I'm not meant to like this. I should be bent over in stitches of laughter. However, this is not occuring. First things first, fantastic gimmick. Cybozz looks like a crazy tin Robot - and that's where the silliness ends, for Cybozz, is in fact, damned good.

One look at the cover art causes the nose to turn up, ready to condemn this to the corner of the Internet where all bad music goes. Unusually, this album completely deceives the listeners, and the opener "Drug" provides immediate interest. The pleasantly entitled "Being Boiled" makes "Horrorscope" become a statement of intent. Actually, this is a tough review to write - Cybozz is a project that you can't really categorize. Live, the project is supposed to be something quite remarkable, but on record, all you can really think of to say is noise.

That isn't to say, however, that Cybozz is akin to Merzbow, Masonna, or anything of the like. It's quite literally a Triptych of IDM, Industrial, and good ol' fashioned Electro, with it's own identity imprinted on it. "Neues Leben" gives this album to fans of Terrorfakt, and Xotox, and "Industrial Revolution" is an absurd boast, that despite it's swollen head and ambitious ambiguity, actually manages to keep your attention going.

I have to thank Ionium Records for sending me this. I honestly cannot get my head around it, and despite my third listen, I remember walking away thinking "This is really shit", immediately followed by "I need to hear this again, I love it!". Cybozz is the 30 year old drug-addled young Mother who wants to kick the habit, but simply cannot. The above passage may seem harsh, but the truth is this, I love Cybozz, but I cannot think of a single reason why. The track "Autist" is the best explanation I can give you, and even that falls void of any explanation. I blame the album cover for this. Those evil, metallic eyes are burning the image of the "repeat" button on your CD player into my mind. Just when you think things can't get weirder, the Intro to "Gerburt einer Nation" kicks in, and I'm actually convinced that a clone of "War of the Worlds" style Cybozz-oids are marching across the planet, one by one, chanting "Play me! Play me!"

In impressive forethought, the album decides to play itself to an end with what I consider to be the strongest tracks on it, "Stone in my Head" and "Kill The Killer". The former is a deranged Isamov-inspired march for freedom and rebellion - after all, "Rules are made to be broken". The latter is probably the album's best track, and is suitably demented. Great vocals.

In closing, Cybozz is definately a "full package" band. Based on that, I urge the guys to improve their website, which although not primitive, certainly wouldn't be a waste of time to give it a facial. (Giggle). Strange, deranged, and a nice change. Not for everyone, but being normal is boring. Jan 07 2011