Darkness. From the prevalent black hues on the cover artwork to singer Jeff Martin and Co.'s gothed up image to the 'hopeless world on the brink of impending doom' lyrical themes, darkness is by far the Tea Party's forte of choice here on their third release. So do as did so many others and call them derivative - hell, I'll help you hold up one end of your banner! The band has after all spruced up their epic, Middle Eastern-tinged Zep meets the Doors sound - not exactly the pinnacle of originality to begin with - with (gasp!) shorter songs, (double gasp!!) mechanical sounding distortions, and if you still haven't passed out from lack of breath, a grand ol' bevy of industrial and electronic beats. All quite the rage at the time, if you recall. And coincidentally enough, this was something of a breakthrough disc for the trio as far as mainstream exposure and all that fancy stuff went. So go figure, right? Sellout is as sellout does...or something...

One minor caveat though, oh ye listener of conservative tastes, and it's a biggie - not only do they do a hell of a job with their modernized approach, they happen to do it better than just about anybody who so much as glanced at, nevermind embarked upon, that Reznor-esque path paved with lo, angst and electronics and the ridiculously high risk factors for possible phoniness and the ever dreaded lack of substance. Following what might very well be one of the most intense, ripping openers in music history, the album goes on to positively soar upon the crests of its pre-millennial, urban waves, dazzling and enchanting along the way with its malevolent splendor, before finally settling down towards the end and eventually closing out in a solid if rather unspectacular fashion. So at least for the most part it's a hell of a ride.

The band is certainly up to the task, once again employing their multi-instrumental abilities to some amazing effects, albeit with that aforementioned different direction in mind. It might not have The Edges of Twilight's thirty-two different instruments at work, but somehow Transmission still sounds fully orchestrated - just in a grittier, dystopian kind of way. The rich and vivid sound is a true marvel to behold, and is only matched by the...yep...Jeff Martin comes equipped with the sort of voice that many a singer would kill, er, wish for - impassioned fervor and cynical world-weariness (ah, and versatility) all rolled into one jet black-haired Jim Morrison look-alike - and the fact that he sounds reasonably, not to mention very convincingly, pissed for most of the record elevates him to even loftier perches of vocal God-dom. When he snarls "I think the end is getting near!!" then oh yeah, you better start counting those final seconds.

Transmission's overall success however hinges on a very simple fact - that these are still musicians writing music, not peddlers hawking a product. Despite the major creative shift, the Tea Party totally retains its identity; underneath the spiffy new dense wall of sound, the angst-ridden approach et al is a ~band~ exploring what at least for them is very much new ground. The result is hardly the most original thing in the world, but when it's done this well, does it really matter? They might have gained hefty commercial success after this release, and you know what? They deserve every last bit. So all the cries of "sell out!" really say a helluvalot more about the accuser than they do about the band. Transmission is not a compromise, it's a bold step forward. What followed though was nothing short of......but that's another story.

Ratings and Wrap Up:
8.9
"..shed your skin
change if it pleases you
just don't give in..."

Review by ilya-


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