Frost Giant

VINYL FORMAT. 'Released almost exactly one year after Bird Bones in the Bughouse (an EP that essentially served as a continuation of Submariner), Frost Giant displays The Dead Science as a pop band that dabbles in jazz and rock, which the group initially strove for when it formed. Mickens's love of Prince comes through in his exaggerated, vibrating falsetto, which is much more strained than the near-croon he offered in his earlier days with the band. Drummer Korum Bischoff is gradually phased out - new addition Nick Tamburro (who joined shortly after 2004's Bird Bones and has since taken over as live drummer) plays on all but three tracks. Interestingly enough, Tamburro almost gives the group more of a punk edge and has the energy to pull off the more rock-oriented songs here, of which there are more than on previous releases. Bischoff remains for the album's three softest songs, continuing to provide a delicate backdrop for prominent melodies. The Dead Science also thrives on attention to detail, which prevents the members from making their pop style forgettable. There's quite a bit of mimicry and drawn influence; "Black Stockings" almost borrows the brilliant drum pattern of Joy Division's "Atrocity Exhibition." The recurring bass line in "Drrrty Magneto" (a fantastic live track, to note) is later echoed in the much softer "The Future, Forever."' - China Bialos / Prefixmag.com