Half Control documents a lost chapter in the history of Rhode Island's electronically altered post-punks
Six Finger Satellite. In 1998,
Six Finger Satellite released their fourth full-length album,
Law of Ruins; showing a clear Krautrock influence,
Law of Ruins found the band moving into a new direction, and while the group toured extensively behind it, it was a challenging effort that wasn't as popular with their audience as some of their previous work. In 1999, while
Six Finger Satellite took a break from the road, bassist
James Apt and guitarist
John MacLean left the band, and founding members
J. Ryan (vocals, synthesizer) and
Rick Pelletier (drums) recruited
Shawn Greenlee and
Joel Kyack to replace them.
Six Finger Satellite broke up in 2001 and
Law of Ruins came to be seen as the group's final recorded statement, but as it happens, shortly before calling it quits, the
Ryan/
Pelletier/
Greenlee/
Kyack lineup began work on an album, and
Half Control presents eight previously unreleased tracks (running about a half-hour) from this edition of the group. In some respects, the music on
Half Control represents a step back from
Law of Ruins; this music is less experimental and more straightforward, with a harder and more aggressive edge, more guitar, and a more traditional role for
Ryan's keyboards (though they still maintain their slightly off-putting sci-fi tone). But if
Half Control isn't as arty and ambitious as
Law of Ruins, it rocks a lot harder, and for sheer physical impact, this is as strong as anything the band recorded after
Severe Exposure. The songs are simple and cyclically constructed to build tension and momentum, and
Ryan's fierce, intense vocals only add to the impact, with
Kyack's guitar and the excellent rhythm section egging him on every step of the way.
Half Control appears as
J. Ryan and
Rick Pelletier have once again reunited
Six Finger Satellite and released an album of fresh material, and while this isn't quite the great lost
6FS session, it's a very good lost
6FS session, and the strength and precision of these performances make it clear this was a period in their career that deserved to be documented, however brief it may have been.