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link to the cd shop that had the best prize at the time of writing this reviewCD OF THE WEEK (May 2000) :

Metal Molly "The Golden Country®"
(2000, Double-T-Music / Sony - DTM137101-2)

Songs (click on the -icons for a small audio-sample)
1. Happiness (we're all in shit together)
2. The Bomb
3. Elvis went blind
4. Suncomfort International
5. (at the speed of sound of) Hopelessness
6. Julee Andrews
7. 1/2-arsed cowboy
8. Idaho
9. Sunwear
10. Love=The Most Expensive Drug
11. Ghost
12. Magpie

Musicians :
- Allan Muller (vocals & guitar)
- Pascal Deweze (vocals & bass)
- Gino Geudens (drums & vocals)
- Stoffel Verlackt (guitar & vocals)
Guests :
- Bart Zegers (double bass)
- Gethin Liddington & John Leach (brass)
- John Gullis (cello)
- Raf Van Looveren / Tom de Haes (bugel)

All songs/lyrics : Allan Muller & Pascal Deweze
Produced by Mark Wallis
Recorded at Loco Studio's (Gwent, Wales, UK)

Photo's : Michiel Hendryckx
Artwork : Beeldeman

 

My opinion

The missing link between "Surgery For Zebra" and this "The Golden Country®", between the debut-cd that had Metal Molly storming onto the stage so enthusiastically that they fell of it on the other side, and this cd, with which they walk onto the stage so politely that the thing doesn't even need a vacuum-cleaner afterwards, that missing link will probably remain hidden forever. Because in the five years between these two, Metal Molly was out of business. Not enjoying the well-earned success that "Orange" & Co had brought them, but out of business aka splitted. The closest to this "missing link" is probably the solo-project of weirdo Alan Muller, who showed with his "Cabbage" some of the evolution that these guys from Tremelo (now living in Antwerp as the rest of the scene) have gone through.
Statement of the year is probably the thesis that "The Golden Country®" contains probably more guitars than "Surgery For Zebra" : technically speaking (there is now a guitar-player more than before, in casu Stoffel Verlackt of Flowers for Breakfast) correct, but while the guitars of the Metal Molly's used to screach and bite, the guitars are now plucked and strummed and carressed. Apart from the conclusion that this record can boast a wonderful sound (compliments to chef Mark Wallis who gave the music room to breathe and a warm sound), a first glance at the record also reveals how "corny" Metal Molly were and are. The songtitles alone already reveal this : "Julee Andrews", "1/2-arsed cowboy", "Elvis went blind", "Happiness (we're all in shit together)". They must have had a jolly good time amidst the sheep of Wales.
Musically speaking, the band surfs through some thirty years of musical history in the 12 tracks present, sometimes coming frightfully close to the original (on the song "Sunwear", that original is even the old Metal Molly, on other occasions the aim was probably the Beatles and Beach Boys). The net-result are some fine popsongs, with a sligh melancholic backbeat, nice multi-part vocals, weird lyrics, beautiful arrangements and the occasional extravaganza. The nicest songs are certainly the quiet "Idaho" and "Hopelessness", the come-on-whistle-along single "Sunconfort International" and the twisted twists and turns of songs such as "Julee Andrews" and "Happiness".
Metal Molly (more cheese!) is back : the five years have made them more mature and corny, but the class-act is still very much evident.

And your opinion?
Did I get it all wrong, or was I spot-on ? Do you want to share your opinion about this cd ? Send it in, and I'll put it up here !

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This Album in the Press

- Dirk Steenhaut in Metro (De Morgen) : "The atmosphere is often disarminly nostalgic, the instrumentations are much richer, the multi-part vocals reminded us of the Beach Boys on more than one occasion ... Listen ... and yield".
- Sacha van der Speeten in Rif-Raf : "The omnipresent melancholy is lifting this album to a higher level ... but when the band starts freewheeling too enthusiastically, the compositions end up out of the track ... This second Metal Molly sets the competition in the shirt with a handfull of jewels.".
- la in Humo : "... the incoherent 'The Golden Country' wants to go in too many directions at once. That this is never a good idea, will be confirmed by any quartered medieval chap you'd ask. No, just as we had programmed a special function-key to put "THIS IS BELGIAN AND SO IT'S MEGAFANTASTIC!' with one key-stroke, it turns out that we cannot judge this Metal Molly more positive than : not unpleasant and therefore not quite good enough. Shit!"
- Dave Peeters in UptoMusic : "The Golden Country is the title of the newest Metal Molly brainchild on which we hear a band that has gone trough an enormous growth process ... an album full of uncut diamonds that only reveal their beauty after a number of listenings."
- Bart van Dormael in Café Belge : "A cd that immediately strikes the eye because it lacks the jollyness of their hit 'Orange' and has compensated this with more depth. What has remained is the beautiful double vocal-part of guitarist Allan Muller and bass-player Pascal Deweze. The new Metal Molly takes some time to get used to, because you'd expect something completely different, but it's certainly worth the while".

Did you see a good (or bad) review of this album ? Tell me about it !

 

Where to buy this CD ?

You can order this CD from a number of locations (prices researched on May 23, 2000, but nothing guarantees they still are the same when you read this).

Shop
Price of the CD
Shipping + other expenses
Total
Direct Link
Frontstage
629
0
629 Bef.
Frontstage
Azur
682
0
682 Bef.
Proxis
711
0
711 Bef.
Proxis
Atrecordings
---
3$
---
Netbeat
---
3,51€
---

The lowest price is in yellow, the highest in red. This price comparison doesn't take things into account like deduction of shipping expenses when ordering more than 1 cd, bonus points, differences in guarantees ... Shipping prices are those for customers in Belgium.

Have you seen this record elsewhere on the net, do you own an online-CD-shop with Belgian products in it, or if there's something wrong with my calculations : let me know.

 

More about this group :

- Double T Music, the record firm
- Metal Molly bio in the Belgian Pop & Rock Archives
- mail 'em : metalmollypost@hotmail.com
- Book 'em : Dingo Music Management. bman@euronet.nl

 

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