Reviewed November 11, 2000
Pitchshifter's latest album, Deviant , sees the British band continuing to push the limits of just how many genres can be thrown onto one disc. You may be surprised to find just how awesome a song can sound when it has elements of metal, punk, industrial, alternative, and techno all explosively mixed in.

Apparently disgusted with life in the U.K., Pitchshifter's harshly pessimistic lyrics are to be expected with song titles like "Everything's Fucked" and "Condescension." The words can be humorous at times, such as those in "As Seen On TV," while most are abrasively directed at government and society.

Deviant  probably isn't Pitchshifter's heaviest album when they're on tour (That honor would have to go to one of the first three purely grindcore discs.), but the mixing quality of the newest release makes it sound that way. Vocals are properly mixed with the dominant guitars and lighter samples. While www.pitchshifter.com  was the first step toward commercial success and had a few incredible songs, it wasn't quite as solid throughout like Deviant  is.

The entire album is excellent, but a few songs stand out. "Wafer Thin" has a supreme combination of heavy-ass guitar riffs and backing drum machine. "Forget the Facts" reminds us that ignorance is bliss. My favorite, though, is "Everything's Fucked." Plenty of introductory sampling builds up to a cynical verse with pounding drum machines and eventually raging guitars in the backdrop.

If you're here with me in the United States, you probably haven't heard much about Pitchshifter; they're just not MTV material quite yet. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go out and buy Deviant . The best overall album from this underappreciated band gets 5 of 5 stars from me.