Review of De Rigueurmortis, Sean Maher , Sydney Star Observer newspaper, November 2001

 

Music | Tism - De Rigueurmortis
***1/2

There's a key track on De Rigeuermortis called Five Yards that demands anyone within earshot to "take a look around" at the world and tear a few shreds off what they see. Or something like that. Brief quote: "You're only one tabloid press from a lynch mob. You're only one acting role from a real job ..." So the rest of the album continues on this classic Tism trajectory, launching its offensive on anything crap that's managed to acquire a profile in this country: child stars, adults riding razor scooters, Cleo magazine, techno, Tim Tams, schoolkids piled into a limo on the way to the formal, and, of course, reality TV - which makes us all arseholes, apparently. As usual this new album confirms that for Tism the point of cultural cringe is all in the delivery. De Rigueurmortis offers predominantly and intentionally shitty music and sharp observation. This formula works best on the tracks Thou Shalt Not Britney Spear (about turning the virginal Britney down for sex) and Schoolies Week ("in hell it's always Schoolies Week"). The album is also worth it for the special voice appearances from Australian sub-celebrities like Derryn Hinch and that guy who does voice-overs for the Target ads. There's no use in looking much further into Tism than this - as they say, "It's all about the horse, not the horse shit."

 

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