The band's debut EP is quite clearly that of a young band at work -- especially since it's such an obvious if enjoyable fusion. Take
Nine Inch Nails-styled industrial/rock music, blend in
Alice in Chains' take on grunge, behold --
God Lives Underwater. There's the tech obsessions and sampler/amplifier abuse of the former, the singing style and some guitar lines of the latter, a variety of hip-hop-inspired loops and breaks for further effect, and all together it's perfectly state of the art music for 1995, when it first appeared. This said, the heavily compressed production on opening song "Drag Me Down" lacks the more full-bodied beat and bass punch of the remainder of the EP. "No More Love" sets things to rights, while "Lonely Again" is the best song on the disc, with an echoed, beautifully epic guitar intro and a moody melancholy captured in both the singing and the slow music. Nothing on the EP is a great surprise, but it's still a good starting point for where things would go next. ~ Ned Raggett