Kitty Magik magazine
Wow. This is fucking weird, but in a tolerant, pleasurable way. The latest LP from Rhode Island's mutant sons, A Trillion Barnacle Lapse (ATBL), finds this foursome creating ten songs that sound like The Cure or New Order meeting up with the Faint and then deciding to jump the guitarist from a hardcore band in an alley and force him to join their super group. Yes, the '80s new wave influences are certainly over-riding, but they've all been put through a punk rock filter to change the sound from what most might expect. Lyrically, the band is vague, and yet the lyrics can occasionally be catchy, such as on the second track, "Twink," when lead singer Zan proclaims the album title over and over, "We're gonna go / On a cruise / In heaven." It sounds strange, but trust me, it happens after a few listens. For a band that wants to fit in with the punk rock and hardcore scene, it's a welcome relief to find they don't sound like another Locust rip-off or thugcore like Earth Crisis. Instead, imagine the look on the kids' faces when ATBL gets up on stage and plays a totally sexed-up tune like "Hidden Cameras," with its lines of, "You smell the scent / Of my cologne / Which conditions you to take it off, rub it off, get me off." Those kids won't know what hit them. Yeah, there's still some heavier guitar use here and there, but hopefully albums like this will continue to challenge pre-conceptions for both those in and out of the scene.
The Indiana Journal Review (Wade Cogeshall)
A quick listen to "A Cruise in Heaven," the third effort from Rhode Island's A Trillion Barnacle Lapse, and it's easy to picture films like "The Crow" and its dystopia of dread and little light. If not for the fervent flow of many of its songs, this disc might get a reputation as being a bit of a downer. Of course, subsequent listens open up a new world within ATBL. Comparisons to The Cure are probably inescapable, especially in regard to Zan's spectral and doomy desperation of a voice, so eerily similar to Robert Smith. But there's a mysterious quality imbuing these 10 compositions. Sinister electronics combine with chilling guitar velvets to give this music more atmosphere than a "Rocky Horror Picture Show" screening. Anthony M. Ferreira's textured strings stride like a potion in motion in "On the Dock" while on "Hidden Cameras," he puts on a robo front, then it's back to lush, airborne melodies on "Lucy." Besides enveloping the listener in an otherworldly fog, ATBL also have no qualms about incorporating many turns in the proceedings. "Masking Tape" showcases busy, boxed-in turmoil one moment, its serene doppelganger the next. And the blue-flame intensity of a number like "John the Baptist" would be a remarkable achievement for anyone. Groups like A Trillion Barnacle Lapse are hard to find in this country. Be grateful we can boast of having some of the ultimate cyberpunk with an urge for white face paint.
Under The Volcano issue ..82 (chuck foster)
Make no mistake: A Trillion Barnacle Lapse is definitely NOT an Emo band. They hail from Rhode Island, not Long Island, which should tell you something. Actually, ATBL (as they are abbreviated) join the ranks of bands like the Vanishing and the Phantom Limbs, who are ushering in a new movement I call CyberDeath. ATBL combine 80's Goth/Post-Punk, Digital Electronic music and wall-of-sound Psychedelia to create a somber melancholy perfect for a cloudy October day in a cemetery. Vocalist Zan is Robert Smith with the phrasing and lyricism of Christian Death's Rozz Williams. This CD is an ambitious collection of music that is sure to please anyone who is interested in the dark side of the future.
Loaded Mouth webzine (tas)
If your musical tastes range from punk to indie, The Cure to Prince, 80s to hard rock, and hip hop to techno, then you must add this album to your colleciton. It's an amalgamation of all that and more, ATBL's best album to date, and a continuation of what should soon become their registered trademark: Sounding retro without being the slightest bit retro. I really can't say enough about this album. Just get it.
Scene It All webzine (gmocore)
A Trillion Barnacle Lapse, or as they like to be called ATBL is a band that has seen many years as well as several line up changes. In an interview the singer jokingly stated that they are no longer A Trillion Barnacle Lapse but they are now ATBL. A lot easier on the tongue and ears and even the mind for some. They have a unique sound that blossomed from the innards of Rhode Island. As well as having an interesting name they also have an interesting sound. It sounds like the lovechild of old school hardcore/screamo mixed with a little bit of new wave and electronics with an array of catchy hooks and eclectic lyrics. A Cruise In Heaven is the bands most recent effort and they are already recording for a forthcoming album. Their electric sounds are not the basic electronic sound so many emocore bands incorporate into their music. ATBLs sound is somewhat driven by the electronics the way an earlier new wave band would have been. The title track is so damn catchy that you will have a hard time keeping it out of your head. The lyrical precision reminds me of hip hop in a way, the way the words are crafted together so intricately and flow so smoothly. Some of the songs have an older feeling to them like Masking Tape showing they were not raised on anything new and retarded. This is a real band that was brought up on real music and it shows. These guys have been playing together for 7 plus years so they are definitely in tune with each other and know how to compliment each others musical fabric with a shred of finesse. ATBL has done a very good job with their latest album. They have found a way to escape the constraints of a genre. Maybe several sub genres could sink their teeth into them but it wouldnt hold any ground to the bands unique style and originality. This is something everyone should hear due to the fact that it pays tribute to multiple forefathers of the music we now love and cherish. ATBL or A Trillion Barnacle Lapse (depending on how long your attention span is) will show your ears new ground that you can either walk on and enjoy or pass by and let it dry out and burn.
How are you, a trillion barnacle lapse? Haven't checked in on you lately, so I swung by to wish you a happy October & hope you are feeling well! Listen, I have another track up on my page, "Attack Of The Mushroom People." You can Hear it right Now, if you'd like at: www.myspace.com/psychedelicpablo adios for now! Pablo
