If I could pin this album to a movie, I would do so with the Mad Max trilogy. Cynical, heavy-handed, and apocalyptic, and yet it doesn't forget to give you the dessert of a sense of humor. Very few artists can incoprorate the signature elements of hip hop, metal, ambient, progressive rock, and industrial (among others) as well as OBCT, and You Create Industrial Waste is a monument to this. From the beautiful trip hop-esque of "The Doze Pile" to the doom metal of "Straight Down", to the rap-metal of "Corporate Rock America", to the sludgy punk of "When Large is too Small", the songs, while strong by themselves, link arms together to form a cohesive album, brimming with concept and tale. Definitely the best album I've heard this year. "The Doze Pile" If anyone knows a lick about this band, you'd know that this track is an unexpected surprise. A very appreciative way of starting the album, a lullaby, sad and remorseful, and something one would expect at either the middle or the end. It's unconventional, but quite effective. Lyrically it is quite haunting and powerful, with the lines like "we'll grow apart eventually/through tears in me" rolling off of Makousky's tongue as if he were once again telling his woeful tale in hopes that someone, anyone would respond. "Farts and Beeps" Juxtaposed as track two, and contrasting in almost every way possible. Hard, heavy, crass and fun, while "The Doze Pile" played itself as a title page (in an intentional faux pas manner), this is where the album really sets the pace, and the overall message "Do what you can with what you have...what you do deserves respect." "Corporate Rock America" With a name like OBCT, one should expect a certain amount of wittiness to be at hand. Below the brutal guitars are hints at todays popular music, from the melodic samples to the hip-hop beats to the censoring of lyrics. All this a vehicle for a cynical opinion represented in the title. Here also begins the trade-off nature of the two main vocalists, a duality that integrates itself into the album's sound deeper as the album progresses. "NPD" If you didn't think the cynicism could get more heavy-handed, well, it does. Something to take note is that the topics are accented by the composition and tone with a certain anthemic soundtrack forethought. With that thought, "NPD" is an interlude leading to... "Straight Down" "Going straight down/falling all the way", and that's exactly how you feel going into this track. Unrelenting in its rhythm, yet cutting through is the maelstrom of harmonies. Thespians should be moved, if not disturbed by something as honest as this comes to the still calm before suicide. "Death's Tuxedo" While this song may seem silly (with the catch phrases and cliches) one should never underestimate the subtle sense of humor The Obese weave, especially when one can tell they are having fun telling a modern zen joke. The punchline, according to Dan 'Boot' Bateman: "Death has got a tuxedo that just kills." "AQbTKa" What does one do after telling a joke? Follow it up with another, and do it over a hook that is difficult not to sing along to. And if you couldn't tell as you were lumbered through the song like a felled Amazon tree, the jokes on you. "When Large is too Small" What strikes about how this track follows "AQbTKa" is how it's enraged, angry at itself for how it deals with the preceding topic, that being self-destruction. The driving beat is a reminder of the desperation of "Straight Down", kicked up several notches to amplify the out-of-control state of being. "When there’s a hole in your life that you struggle to cover and over and over it leaves you discovered again." "Doing the Right Thing" The dichotomy the album is echoed here, musically and lyrically. The hook and groove wrestles with the menacing brutality, and yet like an old married couple, are inseperable. "I don’t care if you break my heart/just leave me enough of the important parts/Just enough to keep me moving by/as I turn my head to avoid your eyes." This is the duality of 'your baggage/my baggage', a reoccurring yet subtle theme. "Fluff Up Reality" One can see the influence of Jello Biafra in the vocal, one just teetering on the edge of losing patience with their surroundings. But at that particular cliff is when the senses are the sharpest, and with OBCT I would say that they have a sixth sense of wit, which is always, always sharp and exacting, even if delivered in an off-handed fashion. "Falling on the Sword" Read the lyrics to this. They should explain the rest. "I Can't Believe it's a Hotdog" There's a panic to this song, and understandably so. Perhaps even a sense of paranoia in our sense of reality. Really. Question the essence of the hot dog. Then question the essence of this song. Which one has more substance? Black is white, and white is black, as the Oliver Stone movies try to say, but the Obese give it to you in layman's terms. "Abstractit" It is at this point in the album (other than the aside introduction) the band is letting a certain piercing (but not painful in the least) light escape from the the sphere of their signature sound (which had been established up to this point). This light would be a metamorphosis of what the band could become in the near future. About pushing the envelope of personal progress, and the natural state of fear caused by it. And naturally... "Chrono Capsa" This is your moment, where the Emergency Broadcast System is indicating the seconds left, where you think about what you have done, what you have been doing, what your intentions and contentions have been. "You only cheat yourself from the very best parts of your life." With the swirling keys and piano, pushed forward by the insistent guitars and given rhythmic bold print of the drums, this is the soundtrack of the moment of truth. All jokes aside, "your soul still holds it with you, there is no choice but to be true." Just to make sure that their listener, upon waking in the morning, realises that this was all a dream (perhaps wake-up call?), the album concludes with a smile, a self-deprecating joke, and asks you to lighten up, it's not all bad. -Chris Gannon

Last summer one of the best albums to come out of Minneapolis, well out of the US, for that matter, was released by some good friends of mine. It contains a mix of creativty meets chaos surrounded by hypnotic melodies. The album is called You Create Industrial Waste by OBCT. I can't say enough good things about it, particulary cause I hate typing, so all i can say is listen to it. Listen to them perform it live, listen in car, in the shower, dance in your underwear, it's an all purpose record. This will make you dance, cry, dance and cry on your dance partner, but mostly just dance like a maniac. Some of the tracks that stood out: When Large Is Too Small (with Avenpitch, another excellent MPLS band) This is the song that I think encompasses what OBCT is: upbeat, insane hiphop, infectious chorus and as well as their love to work with outside musicians. "drop you ego and open your band to other bands" its amazing. this is the highlight of the album for me. Death's Tuxedo This song is my wake up and get the fuck up because it's time to face the day. mixing humor and killer programming and vocals. Straight Down (with Drones) One helluva collaboration. One of the heavier tracks on the album. killer mix of vocals. Corporate Rock America This song is just clever and is amazing live. I'll never get enough of the public enemy style beats. I Can't Believe It's A Hot Dog (with GNP) Even Stephen Hawkins can dance to this song. NPD The chorus is so creepy. one of geoffs best. and the scratchy metal vocals which i think is boot are fucking amazing. DOZE PILE (w/ little tin box) I remember hearing the demo for this like 2 or 3 years ago when working with the obese. i think i listened to the minute and half demo like 100 times because its probably the prettiest mixture of sounds i have heard. i'm think i'm going to cover it here out east for bonfire gatherings. Award for best use of the word "happenstance" Falling On The Sword Super awesome intro. Reminds me of earlie 90's industrial. Fluff Up Reality (w/ HONDO) Watch out Andrew WK.... the OBESE have a better party song than you do. AQbTKa (with Dissociate) Yet another example a fun super awesome chorus and smooth hip hop verses. This song is funk, fuck yeah Do The Right Thing Unfortunately spike lee couldn't use this song. this a good live sing along song. and no one can resist punk blasts in the middle of a song. Farts And Beeps Yeah Booty YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Abstraclit (w/ faddlader) I really love the mix of metal and ambient breaks in this. and the play between the vocalists. Booty gets an A+++++++++++++ for this one. Chrono Capsa I love the middle programming in this section. a great unofficial ending song. the samples/keyboards and how each part flows into the other is the highlight of this song. Okay so i was going to highlight only a few songs but as you should now put together the whole album is amazing. If there is one thing that i miss about being away from MPLS is not getting to play shows with OBCT. I listen to alot of records. Usually one or two new albums a week. this at top of the list. Go check out their shows! I can't express this enough. They are usually decently priced at some the best hotspots in MPLS. Most of the time you can score free passes from web posts. pick their album up.