REVIEW: Two, Voyeurs (Nothing/Interscope)
- Lee Graham Bridges
At the center of the new band/project Two is ex-Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford and the executive producer of Voyeurs, Trent Reznor. The band builds its songs from components which beg comparison to those of other bands: one might hear the vocal textures of Perry Farrell (Jane's Addiction) or Richard Patrick (Filter); guitar riffs with all the characteristic rhythm of Metallica, but the extra punch found in the work of White Zombie.
Voyeurs was the result of Halford and Lowery's songwriting and performance *reinterpreted* by Reznor. For instance, "If" contains some spacy ambient noises, and fast-paced, drum'n'bass-esque interludes substitute for the default hardcore guitar riffs. The eccentric intro to "Stutter Kiss" is pure Reznor, and further demonstrates how this record became his stomping grounds from a production standpoint.
Unfortunately, the pattern of Two's music is a bit formulaic, if not predictable. If the songs cannot be best described as following verse-chorus-verse, they are certainly mostly arranged according to a mellow-loud-mellow sonic schematic. Lyrics could be stronger; choruses in particular are sometimes tediously repetitive and long. But, despite its difficulties, Voyeurs really does rock, plain and simple. Between the clean guitar skills of John Lowery and the elaborate percussion design and ingenious use of sampling evident in this and other Reznor productions, it might be the music itself that sells Two to the crowds as such a powerful package.
Voyeurs is a great choice for fans of modern hard rock and metal, or for Judas Priest fans interested in seeing Halford's latest work. A delicate balance is set up between art and spontaneity - despite all Halford's intimations that he is an "artist" in recent interviews, and Reznor's decidedly thematic style and supposed disinterest in metal in general, Voyeurs still rolls out of the studios as the product of unpretentious motives, while retaining artistic integrity. Fans can only hope that in their future work, Two avoid toppling unfavorably toward a ridiculous, contrived "artistry," or on the other hand, mediocrity.
