Just got in a lot of way overdue product to review from Chain D.L.K. Central (Marc Urselli's place) and this is the first I opened. Revolutionary Cells is a Seattle-based experimental rock/metal band combining disparate musical elements from progressive rock, post punk, black metal, noise, hip hop, krautrock, and dub. 'Narcotized' is their sophomore effort after 2010's 'Ba,' which of course, I haven't heard, but no matter. This outfit consists of James Slone - electric guitar, bass, synths and voice; and Sean Sleight - percussion, synths and found sound. Between the two of them they can cook up quite a racket at times. 'Narcotized' is twelve tracks of dementia of varying lengths in about 52 minutes.

The longest is the opener, "Suffusion of Yellow" (11:42), a driving instrumental that kind of sounds like Wall of Voodoo meets Hawkwind without the cult of personality. Okay, but nothing really extraordinary. "Narcotic 1" has an early Pink Floyd (post Syd Barrett) organy vibe about it, but it only lasts a little over a minute. "Kitteh (or, Synaptic Plaque)" sounds like an introduction to Math Rock, but with a Krautrock feel. Lots of guitar improv over keyboard drone with a static beat and occasional synth squallings. "Narcotic 2" is another brief synth atmospheric piece, and I am realizing these "Narcotics" (there are six of them altogether) are really just atmospheric interludes between the longer tracks. "Here Lies A Promising Old Man" reminded me a bit of Can, but more like one that's been kicked around the block a few times than a fresh batch of Ege Bamyasi.

"Interzone Nights" takes a bunch of disparate musical elements and runs them through an industrial blender, all the while maintaining a steady beat. By the time we get to "The Trees Have It In For Us" you pretty much know where this album is going, and where it's gone. The guitar improvs are beginning to get a little stale, and with no vocals to add some personality there's not a lot to hold you here. Perhaps if the guitar riffs were more melodically memorable it might spice things up, but truth be told, they're not. Just when I'm about to hit the skip button though, something happens; the mode of the music changes with a strange atmospheric passage in the middle of the track. Hallucinogenic, I dare say. Then a new bass riff takes over sounding like it's entering Bill Laswell or Scorn territory. The last non-narcotic track is "High Steppe Drifter," something you might consider an Ennio Morricone spaghetti western tribute, and it almost works...almost.

You know I really wanted to like this album a lot, but without much in the way of vocals, I just didn't think the musical ideas were that engaging by themselves. Sure, there were a few scintillating moments, but you need more than moments to grab an audience. Available on CD, cassette, and digital. The vinyl is unfortunately sold out.