Hellfish:
"One Man Sonic Attack Force"

Track list:

01. U Don't Quit
02. Theme From Fuck Daddy Remix
03. Steel-Finger (Iron Hand Remix)
04. Big Bald Fuck (Murder Remix)
05. Rampage @ 218
06. Gnomes Tinker With Time (Remix)
07. Pill Lesson
08. Getting' Paid 4or Doin' Shit
09. Wolfman
10. Parisiens & Marseilleises (& Some Cunt From Russia Remix)

Total Play Time: 55:12

Now I've heard of Planet Mu long before today, but decided to do some research on their back-catalog and found myself quite impressed. While there are many artists and releases that were good, I was drawn to Hellfish's "One Man Sonic Attack Force" especially. The album title set me up with this imagery of a fast-paced, energetic style of music, and then kindly delivered.

The music is a mix of hardcore with drum & bass, with loads of samples used throughout the entire disc. The music can be aggressive at times, but it's not just mindless, high-bpm mayhem at work here. Plenty of times the tracks are slowed down, even if only briefly; to ramp us up for the next set of breaks. In these gaps, many hilarious (at least to me) samples are thrown in to set the mood for the music even further. (Example: "Anything to declare? Yeah. Don't go to England." in the 'Big Bald Fuck' remix)

I personally like hardcore and/or drum & bass music for it's ability to be straight forward, foot-tapping, head-nodding fun most times. I think it's good to have music on hand that can immediately liven up a dreary work day, or a long car ride. From the beginning track "U Don't Quit" and it's driving beat mixed with a catchy rap; to the sometimes slower, sometimes faster beat experimentation on "Rampage @ 218" I found myself constantly entertained.

The only track that can be difficult to listen to is the final one "Parisiens and Marseilleises". It's what I'd say is the most experimental, and noisy of all of the tracks. It starts off well enough, with the beat being as catchy as the other songs. Around the 1:00 minute mark the signs of experimentation begin, with the beat then going all over the place at the 1:15 mark. Towards the end of the track we're brought full circle, and are back to a less chaotic beat which wraps up the disc nicely enough for me. If anything it inspired me to go back to Track 1 and start all over in re-experiencing the fun I've come to associate with a "Hellfish" track.