With the economy in its current state and jobs that once went to hard working Americans now being sent abroad, items labeled “Made in Mexico” have acquired a certain kind of stigma. Now I must warn you that when it comes to rock bands that use this same moniker, even more caution must be taken. Your ears and subsequent mental stability may depend on it.
The band Made In Mexico hails from sleepy Rhode Island and contains members from the now defunct noise rock band Arab on Radar, whom I’d never heard of to begin with. Having little foreknowledge of the band before picking up Guerillation, which is the group’s second full length, I thought I’d ask around to see if anyone knew much about Made In Mexico. Surprisingly quite a few people did. The band is apparently famous for having one of their songs featured on the renowned Guitar Hero games, though it happens to be a song few of the people I talked liked at all. While the slew of music driven games that have recently taken the nation by storm has helped to rebuild careers of aging musicians and help jumpstart the career of little known artists, it’s only made MIM infamous. I think it’s safe to say that 99% of music fans across the world will only know this band by the one song that was featured on a video game. Is that a legacy anyone really wants to have?
Still I listened to Guerillaton with an open mind. Through the opening minutes of the album’s title track I actually thought a quality tune was about to be bestowed upon me. With an erratic guitar line and a deep echoing drum beat, the Middle Eastern flavor of the song was set. And once vocalist Rebecca Mitchell took the mic with her rolling r’s and echoing call, it seemed like “Guerillaton” would find it’s mood and I would quickly pick up on MIM’s niche. I was wrong. Once the song hit a punk-like chorus with Mitchell yelling completely off key, “Are you a 3 fag? Are you an 8 jew?” I had to resist every urge in my body telling me to change the song. I wouldn’t have missed anything if I would have; the latter half repeats in almost mirror fashion the former half of the song. It’s the same ear piercing, head scratching, unimaginative, repetitious fodder that unbearably haunts Guerillaton from start to finish.
From the opening tack on, the album sounds almost completely the same, the Middle Eastern punk vibe stays, the vocals stay, and the pacing stays; to say the least, MIM do very little to surprise the listener. If you enjoyed the opening songs groove, you’ll either continue to enjoy it or get tired of it quite fast. Right in the middle of the disc the song “Villa Tranquilla” does switch the pace to more subdued scenery. Though Mitchell’s voice is nothing to rave about, it does sound decent as she croons over the fierce plucking of an acoustic guitar. The break is short lived though as the very next song returns to the same mundane song structure on “Yes We Can.”
The album does little to try and improve itself as it plays along. The band seems completely comfortable with the sound they’re producing, and yet they play in an unemotional, uncharismatic and all together indifferent style at the same time. Maybe someone will latch on to Mitchell’s bland vocal and confuse her random yelps with the raw emotion of old-school female punk singers. Or maybe people will relate with the band’s overbearing politically themed lyrics. But more than likely Made In Mexico’s sound will not appeal to, well, anyone. But look on the bright side of things, there’s probably a 13 year old kid somewhere in America playing a Made In Mexico Guitar Hero song on expert as you read this. What a legacy.
"Guerillaton" is on sale November 11, 2008 from Skin Graft.
