Leng Tch'e - Death by a Thousand Cuts

A familiar conversation, I’m sure, for any music lover –

Friend: I’m starting to get into ___ band. I just got ___ album, and it seems pretty cool.

You: NO, NO, NO, NO! You don’t know what you’re missing! You have to get ___ album!

This is the feeling I get whenever people say they like the new Leng Tch’e album. I frankly think it’s crap, and I say that in a “hate it because I love it” kind of way. The first two Leng Tch’e albums absolutely ruled, and even the rather polished The Process of Elimination generally kicked ass. But the new one is slow, lifeless, and over-compressed, and I won’t harsh on it any more than I have to, as I’ve already reviewed it and done so.

I don’t want to be one of those “their old stuff was better” curmudgeons/elitists. But it’s really true in this case. Leng Tch’e’s second album, ManMadePredator, is probably their best, and probably because of all its Army of Darkness samples. I have a soft spot, though, for their first album, Death by a Thousand Cuts. It’s primitive, ADD-afflicted, and, most importantly, funny. The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy sample in “Cockporn” is classic, and you really can’t argue with an entire song about Beavis, “T.P.” (lyrics here).

This one is tough to find, as no distro I know carries it, and both the band and label are sold out of it. But definitely seek it out – Leng Tch’e has always branded itself as “razorgrind,” and, unlike its new album, this one more than earns that title.