(Dreamworks)
The general image of Henry Rollins is simple: a mass of tatoos and muscle which seem to exist in places most people don't even have places, screaming into a microphone against the evils of the world. That's about half right. Since his days with Black Flag, Rollins has always been one of the more intellectual figures in the music industry. His eleven books and eight spoken word releases have shown that this is more than just another screaming maniac with a band, and it is that sense of intellectualism that has helped garner his band, Rollins Band, one of the most faithful followings in the industry.
But, it's been three years since the release of 1994's Weight, the band's most popular release to date. In that time, we haveve seen what appears to be the death of grunge, the rise of gangsta rap, and Michael Jackson became a parent (surely one of the first signs of the Armageddon). Has this changed Rollins Band? Well, yes and no.
Come In and Burn is their first release for Dreamworks, and from the first few seconds in, you get an idea of what you should be prepared for. "Shame", the album's lead-off song, starts off slow enough, with Rollins more-or-less speaking the lyrics, then he and the band kick in to shove the chorus down your throat. Rollins is known for a lot of things, but being one of the world's best vocalists isn't one of them. Which is why, like on Weight, if he isn't screaming (which he is very good at), he's delivering his lines with a certain cadence that calls to mind his spoken word material, but works well with the songs.
The songs on Come In and Burn are a mixed bag of "anger against society" songs like "During a City", and personal songs like "The End of Something" and "Saying Goodbye Again". The latter batch are the best on the album. Rollins' spoken word material has always been at its best when he is riding that fine line between performer and stand-up comedian, choosing to deal with the inter-personal relationships of himself and others instead of rallying against the world as a whole.
As far as the sound of the album goes, it's important to note that Rollins Band is one of the only (if not the only) band I know of that lists their soundman, Theo Van Rock, as part of the band. One of the things that originally caught my ear on Weight was the rolling basslines of Melvin Gibbs, and how that complemented the guitar work of Chris Haskett and Sim Cains drumming. The same sound is intact on Come In and Burn, with no changes whatsoever, save for those that come from the songwriting itself.
Rollins Band is a group to be reckoned with, much like their frontman. Come In and Burn isn't really an album for the Marilyn Manson set - the songs don't make any attempt to hide their true meaning, and the vocalist isn't anywhere near as flashy - but if you appreciate good songwriting, good musicianship, and a nice, fat sound that will leave you shaken after the CD has left your player, then this album is for you.
