Artist: dälekTitle: Abandoned LanguageRating: 2 1/2 StarsReviewed by: Michelle Cavanaugh
It’s hard to believe that dälek has been around for almost two decades. Carrying the name of extraterrestrial mutants from the British science fiction show Doctor Who, you think you would have heard of them sooner. However, there bizarre sounds might leave listeners skeptical. Abandoned Language is an album packed full of, well, nothing. MC dälek’s monotone voice over dark and dreary cinematic beats is enough to drive anyone crazy.
Similar to the droning vocals of Clouddead and Antipop Consortium, the only characteristic that distinguishes this from noisy mayhem are DJ Oktopus’ beats. The pounding rhythms in “Bricks Crumble” combines hints of ONYX and Cypress Hill, which accommodates to dälek’s deep voice. Bagpipes are thrown into “Paragraph Relentless,” while the lyrics drown in the confusion. The rest of the album is a convoluted demolition zone, complete with an out-of-tune saxophone in the unrelenting “Starved for Truth” and screeching strings on “Tarnished.”
The clashing sounds of Abandoned Language makes it hard to believe that dälek was given the opportunity to share the stage with De La Soul, the Roots, and the Pharcyde. Fans of the dälek’s most notorious album, Absence, will be slightly disappointed with this follow-up.
