Combichrist

Comments (0) By Saby Reyes-Kulkarni Friday, Jan 9 2009

Robyn Von Swank

Being Combichrist is a dirty job.

Details

Combichrist, with Black Light Burns. Wednesday, January 14, at Respectable Street Cafe, 518 Clematis St., West Palm Beach. 8 p.m. $18 in advance, $22 at the door. Age 18 and up with I.D. Call 561-832-9999, or visit respectablestreet.com.

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On Combichrist's fourth and latest album, Today We Are All Demons, the band's mastermind, Andy LaPlegua, effectively ups the ante on the tried-and-true answering-machine intro. It begins with a message from an unfortunate soul on his way to jail on a concealed-weapons charge. His girlfriend, meanwhile, is in the hospital after swallowing a bottle of pills. "Call my mom or sumthin'," continues the caller, who politely suggests that the person on the other end figure out a way to come up with bail money. While this bit could easily have veered into over-the-top shock territory, the calm in the caller's voice gives it a chilling hint of realism. Unfortunately, any depth, insight, or even true drama that Combichrist could have achieved with tasteful restraint goes out the window right there — before the band plays its first note.

But fans looking for a decadent combination of throbbing synths and crunching guitars will love Combichrist precisely because LaPlegua is as nasty as he wants to be. Lines like, "I'm here to fuck shit up, and I'm ready to go/I want to get wasted, and you're my partner in crime" telegraph the band's intentions in no uncertain terms. And when an Asian-accented woman chants "My grandmother gives good head" in an eerie monotone, you know what you're in for. And that's Lords of Acid-level smut set to relentless, brain-rattling electronic grooves. Fans will know exactly what to do and how to dress, so bust out the ripped fishnets and pagan dances!