REVIEW: Nitzer Ebb, Big Hit (Geffen)

- Jamie Roberts

This new effort by an ever-present big name in industrial-lite leaves me with a big question. Try and guess what it could be...

Cohesive wouldn't be an appropriate word for Big Hit. It seems Nitzer Ebb tried every conceivable style and approach, and came up with nothing on all of them. "Cherry Blossom" is a painful attempt to approach the harder, cutting edge. It falls flatter than one could imagine, sounding corny and almost pathetic. The buildup in "I Thought" is agonizing, with no payoff to follow. They even take a stab at balladeering with "Boy" (excuse me while I put the tissues away).

The formula (if there was one intended) is not even close to working. However, just when I was getting mad that I had to listen to this, I heard "Hear Me Say". It was a glimpse back to the "Join In The Chant" days, that reminded me not only of their past driving beats, but also of the fact that they rarely make proper-english sense.

Now for the question...Big Hit? In whose book???