Nov 4

Review: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – The Effects of 333 [2008, Abstract Dragon]

Written By Vik, Albums ,Comments (24)

black rebel motorcycle club the effects of 333 album cover

Well this album came out of nowhere, musically and otherwise. On October 27, 2008 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club announced via their Myspace blog that they were going to release their latest LP: ‘The Effects of 333′ – a completely instrumental album available via digital download independent of any record company. So being a big BRMC fan I put on my black shirt, leather jacket and jeans, paid $6 expecting a mind blowing follow up to last years Baby 81, the result however was something completely different…

With their first 2 length albums BRMC has been known as a slower paced psychedelic rock reminiscent of bands like The Jesus and Mary Chain. In 2005 with the release of ‘Howl’ they changed direction to a slightly more bluesy folk rock. I was disappointed at the time as I was anticipating another rocking romp through psychedelic pastures, but after giving Howl a few listens I embraced their bluesy ways and added it to the regular rotation. 2007′s Baby 81 felt like a culmination of all their material to date.

Before listening to BRMC I was never appreciative of bands experimenting with their sound. I’m a fan of a band because they have a specific sound so if they change it up drastically I tend to lose all interest. I’ve since learned to give musicians the benefit of the doubt as ‘Howl’ showed me that if a band is passionate enough about something the end result is usually ear pleasing (Paul Weller is another perfect example). But after listening to ‘The Effects of 333′ however, I’m almost at a loss for words. When BRMC wrote that this album would be both ambient and instrumental I thought okay, it’ll be another bluesy psych rock album with no vocals. I’m down with that. Although their description of the album is accurate, it was not what I was expecting. Out of the 10 tracks on TEO333, only 2 could be considered instrumental with just guitars strumming haunting chords, while the rest are just noise, albeit ambient…in a Halloween soundtrack you play on your front porch to scare the kids kind of way. Being experimental is one of the reasons why BRMC is one of my favorite bands, but with such a drastic change in sound on TEO333, it makes me wonder what direction they’re headed.

Here’s what the band has written about the album:

We are proud to announce our first release independent of any record company. As our first release through our Abstract Dragon label, this record is exactly that – no apologies, no lyrics, no regrets, just abstract. This has been in the works for the last 3 years at least, on and off the road, in hotel rooms, bus bunks, and back stage.

I really don’t know how to rate this album. It may be good for people who are into this kind of music and I’m sure there’s some kind of theme they’re going for here, but if you’re a fan of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, don’t consider The Effects of 333 to be a proper follow-up to Baby 81.

You can purchase The Effects of 333 here. And if you do, we’re interested (as always) in hearing your thoughts.

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  • http://www.wadevroom.com Wade

    i heard that BRMC got their first break when a dead whale washed up on the shore of some coastal town and somebody carved the letters BRMC into it. There was lots of curiosity around with the four letters stood for, until it finally came out that it was a band.

    Did anybody else hear this? I’ll try to track down the source.

  • http://www.panicmanual.com/author/vik/ Vik

    Yeah I remember that story. It didn’t do much to sell records though.

  • Alex

    I bought their new album but I wish It were a physical CD so I could get my money back.

    Anyone can make this kind of noise spending an hour on a Radio Shack keyboard. Not even worth a second listen.

    BRMC should have kept this for themselves.
    Sorry but its true.

  • http://www.panicmanual.com/author/vik/ Vik

    I’m honestly torn on this album. I give props to BRMC throwing convention out the window but on the other hand I think they should have been more forthcoming in telling the fans exactly what to expect on The Effects of 333.

  • Veronica

    I don’t think that this album is a turning into the music of Brmc, is material that they had some time ago and they decided to show the fans, and with that to test their download site, waiting for a consecutive album for Baby81 in 2009. For me is clear that this moment is just this, a moment en the BRMC career and they gonna come back like we know them in the next year or when they wanted.

    Speak from the first impression is very harum-scarum

  • Fordy

    Really really disappointed, not what I was expecting at all. Love BRMC, got to catch them live last year, excellent, but feel if wasted $6 big time. Hope the next album reverts to more classic BRMC style.

  • MattC

    I’m all for experimentation, but this is self-indulgent guff – pure and simple. Part of me desperately thought it must be a bad joke. Too many drugs and too much time on your hands make this some of sort of urban soundscape with no valid purpose. I’m embarrassed by this.

  • ploftus

    I don’t really think they intended this to be a fu album to Baby 81 at all. As they mention its just a culmination of stuff that has been on their mind/back stage for the past couple years. I’m under the mipression they simply wanted to release some of this for their diehard fans just so we had a peak into the types of music that ifluence them and what types of songs don’t make it to albums, but still interets them.

  • Dan

    not since Liz Phair decided she’d rather be Faith Hill have i been this disappointed in a bands experimentation. If you want to make an album of wind and noise effects don’t put it under the name “black rebel motorcycle club”. Come up with a name like “pointless alien windstorm” and release it on its own. Why should BRMC’s fan base be their guinea pigs for such indulgence? I’d recommend even hardcore fans of this band to ignore this release entirely.

    finally an album that deserves a Spinal Tap review : Shit Sandwich

  • Tom

    I bought this album with great excitement and anticipation two days ago and was furious when my computer crashed mid download. However after listening i realised my computer was trying to save me from the crap that is this record. I am a huge BRMC fan i listen to little else. But this…this is just so bad. Big let down, i know in interviews they refer to themselves as artists and their music is their art but like most modern art this is just pretentious garbage, filling an album with feedback and white noise. I’ve listened once and won’t listen again, id prefer to forget it ever happened and focus on listening to too real et al.

  • CodyT3212

    I was excitedwhen i stumbled upon the existence of this album on wikipedia but after reading all of these fan reactions my excitement has died down. love BRMC and their style but if this really is pretentious garbage that blows big time. although ive always appreciated ambient, soundscape material so what the hell i may enjoy it. im not going to purchase it though that’s for sure.

  • http://www.panicmanual.com/author/vik/ Vik

    The consensus seems to be disappointed with The Effects of 333. Begs the question – How will you approach BRMC’s next effort?

  • Nick

    Anything (and I mean ANYTHING) BRMC do is fine by me.

    I’m finding at the moment that TEO333 is extremely good to listen to whilst writing an essay on fascism.

  • Rob

    This album is brilliant. All this bitching about ambient music is ridiculous. This is their art. It’s certainly their best album ever, even better than Howl. I love this music.

  • Chetsparks

    Your review perfectly sums up my feelings (except I loved “Howl” from the first listen because I felt that it was the perfect progression from where they had been). I wonder what “333″ actually is. I do know that I don’t like it’s effects.

  • Dan

    I had heard this album was god awful, so as a die hard fanm I off lustening to it for 2 moths until curiosity finally got the better of me….I wish it hadnt, roll on the real 5th album….its not ambient, its noises.

  • Dave

    This is why downloading off of p2p needs to exist. Im glad I downloaded this via p2p before buying because I listened to about 30 seconds of the first track, hit ff, skipped to the next song for 5 seconds, all the way through the album.

    My god, to say this is the worst album of all time would be an understatement. I would rather listen to my family being raped and murdered.

    Maybe they should have recorded the sound of my tears hitting the floor and made that into an album too.

  • Bianca

    To be honest, I thought I would love anything BRMC decided to do, but this album just sucks. If all the songs were on the same line as “And with this comes”, it would be fine, but hell… are they really bored at this point? BRMC is still one of my favorite bands and maybe I just dont get it… but I rather ignore this album.

  • Daymon

    Seriously.

    Drugs are required. Heavy drugs. Lots of em. And since I no longer do them… space doesn’t turn inside out and this album is not so cool.

  • Madigon

    You don’t have to be on drugs. A HiFi system and some sleep deprivation will let you see the refreshing sensations of 333. The small ticks contrast the overall ambient noise, like pin pricks on the membrane of REM sleep.

  • Stokieson

    Until reading these comments I was convinced that there’d been some sort of error in the download and I was just getting distorted computer-noise. I feel so cheated, I love BRMC and was excited when i found that this album existed, downloaded it straight away without a second thought, and am now not only severely disappointed but at a loss for words…

  • Mike JR

    One word. Shit. Dont bother, wait for them to write something else.

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  • http://flickr.com/liverpoolpictorial Dave

    Self indulgent “music”. Awful.