A1 – Praise the Children (Autopsy)
Written by Autopsy
A2 – Strange Fruit (Billie Holiday)
Written by Billie Holiday
A3 – Mutiny in Heaven (Birthday Party)
Written by Birthday Party
B1 – Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun (Pink Floyd)
Written by Pink Floyd
One of my favorite new projects in power electronics, Sick Seed, debut release “Guilty Pleasures” insures a throne atop the kingdom of hate. Unrest Productions done a first-rate job with this release, the sounds are dubbed nicely and the artwork looks good while matching the temper of this cassette. Popping this tape into my walkman I was weary at first because I actually listened to all compilation appearances and LP first. All tracks I have listened to from this project are top notched and I was timid this cassette would not match that force, but thankfully I was wrong. This is a cover release, every track on this cassette was remade in the image of Sick Seed and I have to say, I really like these newer versions better. The first track on side A “Praise the Children” is my personal favorite on the cassette because I love the power Pekka PT created with his vocals, he made this track better than the original. You can hear fragments of the Autopsy version processed through distortion and effects as Pekka annihilates the lyrics with swift and violent anger. I can’t get the phrase “PRAISE THE CHILDREN” out of my head now, this track is remarkable!
Track 2, a Billie Holiday cover is also a notable track, having source material from the original playing in the background at a normal listening speed; you feel a eerie sensation and disturbing sickness from the vocals over powering the beautiful classic sounds from years ago. This track is deranged and original in style. The 2 differences in love and hate are definitely met here. The Birthday Party cover is probably the most upbeat track on this recording because there is a rhythm to feel and react with as you’re being punished with raw thumping bass and screamed at by a drill sergeant. This track is intense and put me on edge. A harsh reality of being told what to do can really piss you off.
Side B to this cassette rings in at about 11:55 and is an instrumental version of Pink Floyd’s “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, this is a dark track, more dark ambient then power electronics or noise, but I do hear wreckage of scrap metal abuse in the mix making a cold desolate landscape. This side is calming to me compared to side A but shows a relationship with light and dark as noted above. I am in no way saying side 2 is light but compared to the other side of this cassette, side B is the sun.
