Review Summary: In short, if one adores mathcore, grind music, stories of pedophiles and vampires, and lastly The Blood Brothers, The Crinn's “Kills Curiosity” will be an original treat to say the least.
As my hands finished the latest book I read, I could not find a single book left to read in my bedroom- which is more like an unorganized hovel of randomness. Searching for a cure to boredom, I decided to dust my room solely because of said boredom, and the fact that I am most likely an insomniac of sorts. After eradicating all of those dust mites that seem to hide in the most quaint places, I was still aching for leisure of some sort, and still I was surprised at the fact that it was still 9:38 (central time). So I searched under my bed for anything that would serve as the ailment towards my boredom; I was desperate. And here was where-as if destiny had disguised this happening to be a fluke- I found John Ajvide Lindqvist's debut novel, Let The Right One In, atop a mound of novels. And inside the front pages, I found The Crinn's “Kills Curiosity.” And this is where I drew a connection between said novel and album. Whilst not only the lyrical content of the latter is occasionally as dark as the former, when one reads Lindqvist's tale while listening to the aural attack-mechanism that is “Kills Curiosity”, the result is a connection between the two. In short, “Kills Curiosity” is the perfect score for the novel due to its blaring intensity, dark wit, and heavy nature.
Musically, The Crinn can best be defined as experimental grind, or perhaps even mathcore. Whichever way you prefer to look at it however, you can realize that The Crinn is a band of masterful musicians who meld intensity and a constant willingness to experiment. As far as heaviness goes, the first two tracks on this album are perfect examples. “Mr. Sandman, Bring Me A Gun” is a vigorous track full of aggressive riffs, insane vocal stylings, and staccato, unendurable percussion work. And as far as experimentation goes, the last three tracks are perfect examples. “Red Lips Tell Bloody Secrets” is less bellicose than “Mr. Sandman, Bring Me A Gun.” However, in contrast to the more straightforward sound of the opening track, “Red Lips Tell Bloody Secrets” incorporates more originality. Violin-focused sections, decent thrash, grind, nu-metal, and black-metal bits are added effectively in this track to generate a frenzied aural assault. And lastly, “A Fool's Poetry” is very jazz-based, and is, to a certain extent reminiscent of Naked City. While jazz is not the only focal-point of the originality of the song- the song does in fact add other elements of thrash, Latin, pop, hardcore, and grind music-it certainly is a strong one, and sounds more original than the other tracks on this album.
Speaking of originality, the band is certainly unafraid of it. However, the band does seem to come across as a more belligerent, cantankerous The Blood Brothers (before Crimes was released). This is mainly due to the similarities in vocal styles, lyrical styling, and riffage though, and not so much with the musical influence of both bands. In fact, The Blood Brothers comes off as sort of tame compared to the boldness of The Crinn.
In short, if one adores mathcore, grind music, stories of pedophiles and vampires, and lastly The Blood Brothers, The Crinn's “Kills Curiosity” will be an original treat to say the least. It is armed with not only some of the most technical and proficient musicianship this side of The Number Twelve Looks Like You, but with band members who prove that they have absolutely no qualms whatsoever with experimentation. There is no filler either as each track presents itself to the listener well. They terrify and unnerve the unprepared, and are just plain abnormal. I certainly recommend this to all who this applies to.
FINAL RATING: 4.0 (The album's length is both a negative and a con, you want more, but realize this mini-LP would tire if it was a full album.)
