here’s one moment in the Lightning Bolt DVD that really stands out. The one where Brian Chippendale is driving & discussing the Lightning Bolt versus Black Dice mentality. It culminates in him stating that Black Dice’s move towards ambience & electronics has left them sounding like classic rock in comparison. There’s an uncomfortable pause before he poses the question, “we’re not classic rock, are we?” with much more than a hint of uncertainty in his voice. The camera stays running through the eerie silence that follows before finally cutting. The scene is the one of the very few in the film where the group seemed even remotely vulnerable, and this makes it damn near impossible to think that Chippendale’s new project isn’t result of the drummer’s genre jitters.


Now the Mindflayer is a brain-sucking, quadra-tentacled monster/demon most likely only known to those of you who spent your evenings and/or weekends in the basement rolling twenty-sided die. It certainly isn’t a pretty beast, resembling a cross between your typical humanoid grey alien and a squid or jellyfish. Mindflayer is also the (relatively) new band from the Land of Load featuring Chippendale once again drumming and vocalizing and Mr. Brinkman (Meerk Puffy, Forcefield, etc.) rocking a stack of electronics. As powerful a beast as it may seem, the Mindflayer still has big shoes to fill. People seen the chaos spewed forth by his big brothers. They expect more of the same.


Though this disc was just recently released, the material dates back to August 2001, right around the end of the “Power of Salad...” tour. The idea that this is merely Lightning Bolt with the bass swapped out immediately comes to mind, but that really isn’t the case. There’s a lot more control here. Rather than the two gentlemen just bringing their stock skills and combining them, they work to create an entity that hints at their other works, but doesn’t sound like a clone of it. These guys are after your brain, but they’ve come up with a whole new way to get it. Rather than merely swiping it after pummeling your body, Mindflayer tricks you into giving it up willingly.


The disc starts off relatively slow and steady. The opening track “Take Your Shoes Off” has an almost hip hop feel to it. In the every-band-wears-a-bizarre-costume Providence scene, this may actually pass as real hip hop. It makes a great introduction as the beat is supremely paced and the electronics do a good job of complementing rather than stealing the show. The Bolt-style contact mic vocals are still present and they’re mixed in well here. I can’t say they’re remarkable, but they work well as support sounds. The feedback from the mic is usually more interesting than the words or attempts at words accompanying it.


The next couple songs are similar but with Brinkman’s noise getting more time to shine and the drumming increasingly more spastic, though still kept in check. The fourth and fifth tracks actually merge together seamlessly to create one piece, together clocking in at combined ten minutes. This is where things erupt. The drums, vocals, and noise all appear to be completely unrestricted here. This is the closest to how the group comes across live and is when they are really at their best. “Everyone Dies (We Won Anyways) Pt. 2” illustrates the gruop concentrating to control the chaos. When the inevitable release ensues it seems so natural that I wonder why they would ever try anything else. All-out noise doesn’t work best for everyone, but these two could rock it all night and I’d never get tired of it.


The songs following this meet halfway between the spastic bliss of “Everyone Dies” and the more controlled work of the opening tracks. The effect is one of relative complacency until the ‘electronics solo’ at the end of “Bubble Trouble...” Past this, the remaining songs few pick up the pace a bit more, but none really come close to the pinnacle reached earlier. The standouts are “Street Attack With Mongrels, Elephants, Glitter, Etc.” and the final (CD only) track “You’re Dead at the Bottom of a Dungeon, Deal With It (medley).” The last track is by far the longest and stands above most the others on the disc because it is the only place where every aspect of the band is finally realized at once. Things individual tracks had earlier hinted at join forces and make for an exciting finale to the proceedings.


My one issue with Take Your Skin Off is that too much of the album sounds restrained. It sounds like a studio album. Comparable to when your favorite four-trackers hit the studio, Mindflayer’s sound seems too polished here. They are obviously more raw then they’re showing. As bizarre as it may sound, less focus would actually make for a more focused overall product. As good as this album is, I have to admit to liking the live CD-R they’ve done over it. If you’re into controlled, broken beats grab this first. If you’re looking for manic destruction a la Lightning Bolt, check out the live material. Either way you’ll be dealt a death blow, it just depends on how you want it.