30%
Marzuraan—Five years worth of fuck all (2008)
Details
Compilation album. Presented as a three-panel cardboard sleeve, double-sided print, with stark black letterpress and clear varnish.
Band
No information on sleeve; so assuming:
- Stu Ellen—Vocals
- Pete Burn—Guitars
- Lee Stokoe—Bass
- Rob Woodcock—Drums
Tracks
- After glow (recorded: Soundroom 2007) (Loop cover)
- Muck bucket (Rehearsal 2006)
- Moneybox (Live: Leeds, Pack Horse 2006)
- Turned inside out (Live: Stereo: Glasgow 2006) (Rollins Band cover)
- Nice wang (Live: Northumbria University, Newcastle 2006)
- Bad flange (Live: Soundroom, Gateshead 2004)
- GMT (Live: Lord Clyde Hotel, Byker 2005)
- Martian deconstruction (Drum free mix RYN 2004)
- Earth 3 (Recorded: Pedroom 2003)
- HARMed (Recorded: Pedroom 2002)
Review
As far as I can tell, this was Marzuraan’s final release, a compilation of five years’ worth of live recordings. I do hope the album title “Five years worth of fuck all” didn’t truly reflect a cynical and bitter exit, but was a bit more tongue in cheek.
The CD package itself is pretty interesting, coming as it does as little more than a folded oblong of rough, natural card tucked into a plastic sleeve. I like the creativity.
The music style is largely drone / experimental noise. The production quality isn’t great but you do get a good sense of what the band was about. There are more than a few transient moments that reminded me very much of Jesu (Godflesh’s Justin Broadrick’s other band).
But for the most part it sounds little more than someone striking his guitar and leaving it to echo out propped up against his amp.
I do rather like “Earth 3” (track 9), though.
Conclusion
While I do appreciate that this style of music is attractive to some people, there isn’t quite enough here for me. It meanders ponderously a little too much to keep my attention. This is probably like early Napalm Death to Tolkien’s tree-herder Ents!
Review score: 30%