Review Summary: A local Texas act has fun with their music- and it rubs off.
Sometimes you have to admire the sheer earnestness of a band. They may not be all that talented or successful, but they seem to be having a good time and can put on a good show.
Rivethead is a Texas outfit that has been around since 2003. Their website is the definition of sensory overload, showing all the music sites they're on, and meticulously recording every bit of exposure they have- getting played at a Dallas Stars game, or an internet radio show. As a local opener, they have been on the ticket with well-known acts-
Mushroomhead,
Static-X and
Powerman 5000 among others. They do live shows decked out in phosphorescent facepaint. It's adorable.
They've also released a simply biblical amount of material- six studio albums, an LP-length demo, two EPs of cover songs. And a fair bit of it is pretty good. Not groundbreaking, or terribly original. But when I've listened to the past two albums when they came out, I was smiling all the while.
The mention of Static-X is a good guide to what Rivethead sounds like. It has the pop-industrial feel of not being grating- but with a love of electronic doops and boops. The album is characterized by mid-paced instrumental builds to quick and bouncy vocal delivery. The vocalist (whom according to the research I did for this review is named Steve) channels Wayne Static and pulls it off pretty well. It's catchy, the lyrics are well placed and it's rarely awkward. Lyrical content is of the anti-authority variety, and I found some of the lines to be clever (Can you hear me? Trusting friend of mine/I will change you - I will make you mine/Independence - Slightly out of sight/Growing defenseless - Can you see the light? on "Fear Me"). There's a lack of bland appeals to sex, darkness, or Satan, and I appreciate the effort.
The opener "It" is pretty characteristic of the album, with mile-a-minute verses leading to equally rapid choruses, while the closer "Water" has perhaps a more rap-rock aesthetic- it doesn't have the same barked vocals, and instead weaves it into the grooves. "Never" amps me up, despite the fact that it's about as mature as "One Step Closer" was when I was 13 (don't like people telling you what to do? neither do they!). The piano-assisted "My Discord" is perhaps my favorite cut, as it has less of the pop sensibility and shows that Rivethead can, on a rare occasion, be serious and show a bit of musical chops.
High art this is not, as to be expected from a band whose most well-known song is a cover of "Sexy Back". But so often music can be beautiful, progressive, paradigm-shifting- yet not enjoyable or playful. Rivethead is the ginger in between sushi rolls- too much somber or extreme metal can leave you in need of a palate-cleanser. And they do the job beautifully.
