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Cydonian
Imperative
9-27-03
Review: "Illegitimus Non Carborundum"
by Mac Tonnies
 Las
Vegas musician Zakas ("Shunk Daddy Grind") has
released his second studio album, "Illegitimus Non
Carborundum." Like Zakas' eye-popping website,
"Illegitimus Non Carborundum" is a topical, irreverent
labyrinth. A first listening reveals a paranoid -- but
playful -- fusion of styles and genres, with a healthy
emphasis on technology run rampant ("Micromachines,"
which suggests pending developments in
nanotechnology), urban myth ("El Chupacabra," which
boasts a convincing "live" depiction of the elusive
South American blood-sucker) and cosmic censorship
("God's Black Space," about the Face on Mars and our
culture's pervasive instruments of knowledge
filtration).
"God's Black Space" -- an angry, guitar-driven song
--
is interspersed with narration adopted from the
Cydonian Imperative, making it the first musical
venture I've had anything to do with. I'm even
credited in the liner notes. So while I can't help but
listen to "Illegitimus Non Carborundum" without a
measure of personal bias, I find myself liking this
weird, uncategorical album for its purely intrinsic
qualities. Zakas's album is unpretentious, raw and
ever-so-menacing, an undistilled spew of sounds and
textures like the soundtrack to some never-produced
indie sci-fi movie. Alternately grinding and breezy,
"Illegitimus Non Carborundum" is punctuated by some
well-conceived and engaging instrumentals (i.e.,
"Monster Surf," "Dreamberry"), which highlight the
record's predominantly metallic soundscape.
"Illegitimus
Non Carborundum" is one of the quirkier
CDs you're likely to hear in this lifetime. In 18
tracks, Zakas had managed to create the sonic
equivalent to conspiracy-culture's collective
over mind. The result, spontaneous and pregnant with
images, is an aural singularity crafted with precision
and even humor. MP3
Samples
"Illegitimus Non Carborundum" can be ordered online
www.aliensurgeon.com
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