REVIEW: Powerman 5000, Mega! Kung Fu Radio (Dreamworks)

- Sean Eric McGill

Yes, Virginia, Powerman 5000 does sound like White Zombie. But they sound a lot more like Rage Against the Machine, or at least a combination of the two.

Of course, much has already been made of the fact that Spider, PM5Ks vocalist and chief lyricist is none other than the brother of Rob Zombie, who has a little band that some of you may have heard of called White Zombie. So, the similarities in terms of music and style are almost expected. And while this sibling revelation doesn't bring us any closer to finding out what their actual last name is (I refuse to believe it's "Zombie"), it doesnt really make much of a difference in terms of PM5Ks latest album, Mega! Kung Fu Radio.

Of course, a combination of White Zombie and Rage Against the Machine isn't too difficult to comprehend. Take away the B-movie aspect of White Zombie (especially evident in their use of samples), add a little more funk, jump up the in-your-face sonic assault, and get a tad more political with a rap edge, and boom - Rage Against the Machine.

Then again, if you keep some of the samples, keep the funk turned up, turn down the sonic attack a bit, and boom - you've got Powerman 5000. The songs on Mega! Kung Fu Radio are indeed an interesting lot, and while they all do follow a similar structure, they each have an individuality that makes them appealing, each catchy in their own way.

Songs like "Standing 8" and the title track (based on an idea Spider had of a radio that only played Powerman 5000) are two of the standouts on the album, but tracks like the instrumental "Boredwitcha" tend to break up the continuity of the album as a whole. And while the band doesn't chart any new territory with Mega! Kung Fu Radio, the performance itself is superb. This is the kind of music that you can make you alternately jump around the room like a freak or get that funky dance-thing happening. OK, maybe that's something I only do - but I did it and I jumped around the room like a freak.

The bottom line is that regardless of sibling connections and other matters, Powerman 5000 are, if nothing else, an incredibly entertaining band. They're not out to save the world (which occasionally seems to be the underlying theme for Rage), they're out to have some fun - and they do.