The Medullary Paralysis

After a while spent perusing bands and artists from a myriad of backgrounds and styles, you begin to get a grip on what comprises the music world thematically. Black Metal bands will possess certain connotations and affectations while a Doom metal band will order itself visually and aesthetically according to the characteristics of their sound. You begin to get a sense about bands based upon their visual appearance and presentation of material, which can be a useful sign post for grasping what an artist is about prior to actually listening to their music. Not so in the case of Italy’s The Medullary Paralysis, a band so strange and mind fucking that I had to take of stock of what I was doing before delving into their material!

Decked out in matching head to toe purple jumpsuits, the three members of The Medullary Paralysis espouse a philosophy of no drugs, no drinking and no sex, a moral stance which apparently involves them wearing their uniforms 24/7! The bands’ blog has bizarre photos of them mowing the lawn, shopping for groceries and cooking dinner all whilst draped in their latex finery. While it is extremely gimmicky and eye catching, the band does well supplementing their image with actual musical content.

The hard driving “Routine Matters” comes across like a crazed Gary Numan, flashes of 80's electronic perfection and meticulousness peering out of a snarling squall of aggression. Programmed drums collide with the kind of fuzzed out, distorted guitars that would do Billy Corgan proud. The band cites Marilyn Manson, Tears For Fears and Smashing Pumpkins as prime artistic footnotes, attributions that can definitely be glimpsed in the drum programmed, noisy and hyper aggressive industrial sound these guys channel. Fans of heavier goth inspired electronic rock will definitely find a lot to enjoy in these tracks, songs tempered with equal amounts aggression and polished pop, an interesting and pleasing blend that, if not original, is fun to listen to. The truly bizarre appearance and extra-curricular antics this band displays are notable in of themselves, but The Medullary Paralysis supplants being a joke band with some pretty great tracks lurking behind their purple latex exterior. - The End Records

Italy’s The Medullary Paralysis is here with their debut EP, We Don’t Drink, We Don’t Take Drugs, We Don’t Have Sex, We Feel Compassion. We Don't Drink… opens with Compassion On The Dance Floor, a heavy techno/electrohouse number with ambient and pop elements. The song is absolutely mind-numbing at the right volume; the sort of music where you can get lost in the layers (with the right help). Fashion Slave takes a bit of Nine Inch Nails industrial and expounds on it, variation style. The heavy rock feel means this song would have a chance to cross over from club land to some free-thinking metal fans as well. The EP closes out with Heaven Forbid; Frenetic, rapid-fire rhythms on an industrial base with synth infusing a hint of ambience over the top. Heaven Forbid is the most cogent recording on the disc, but still gets mired in a wall of sound resulting from an attempt to do too much. - Wildy's World | Wildy Haskell

In this age of salaciousness, it is hard to find anyone who shuns both drink, drugs AND sex. Sure, head to a hardcore night and you’re bound to find a straightedger or two, but you only need to have read Manson’s Long Hard Road Out Of Hell to know what a debauched game these industrial Goth types often play. This androgynous latex-wearing triumvirate are having none of it; in fact, they are the sort of good, clean boys any wholesome Christian parent would be delighted for you to bring round for dinner… well, if they can get past all the rubber and eyeliner, that is!

Given that this is merely a three track demo, it comes in very sleek cardboard packaging; a glaring clinical white broken up by text quotes such as ‘You have an out-of-body experience when we mix The Smashing Pumpkins and Marilyn Manson. And Tears For Fears too.’ Now, as professional as this all looks it is this which lets it down and even leaves them open to criticism. Sure enough the second part isn’t far from the truth, but saying so on your CD cover just screams ‘cover band.’ But anyway, onto the music and at only 11 minutes in length this is over and done with before I’ve managed to even prise myself into my PVC dress, let alone get out the front door and yet already I feel as though I’ve made it down the Wendy House, drank a couple of bottles and now I’m getting down to some ‘Compassion On The Dancefloor;’ eugh, well perhaps minus the compassion part, though it’s nothing I haven’t seen before! The techno beats come fast and thick while a dark undercurrent of bottom end pulls you down into the music; perhaps not enough to make this the out-of-body experience they promise (well, unless they are sneaking a bit of acid when no-one is looking) but it does have that kind of vibe to it.

Vocals, when not so heavily synthesized, are quite dark and seductive and remind of a cross between Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan, while on ‘Fashion Slave’ they are delivered with a bit of a twang that certainly warrants the Marilyn Manson reference. This track is easily the best of the bunch. While sandwiched between two tracks that really focus on being of supersonic speed, this is more mid-paced. The drum machine is heavy and there’s a certain ambience to it all as sounds all whirl around in the mix while an angular guitar pattern works its way in on occasion. ‘Heaven Forbid’ is fast and projects a confident, focussed rhythm that is clearly on a mission and yet in places it all falls apart and the tumultuous rhythm leads way to a rather haunting chorus that sweeps across the dancefloor emitting a layer of darkness that I rather like. These three tracks are highly danceable and really make me want to move. How this would work as a full length album, I’m not sure as it really depends on what else they can offer in terms of making one that is dynamic and not simply one long track… but I’d recommend this as one to take down the club, hand to the DJ and insist he play it. - MTUK | Luci Herbert

I've never been that fond of Italian gothic-rock bands, but what I here like with this trio is that they don't really sound Italian at all. The Medullary Paralysis sounds like the offspring of Marilyn Manson (especially for the way of singing) and NIN. We here get 3 tracks opening with the merciless "Compassion On The Dance Floor". It's a hard piece of what I would call glamour-industrial-rock. It might sound as a weird definition, but this band definitely isn't a typical emulation. The next two songs are more reminding me of M. Manson for the way of singing. The guitar parts are rather quiet on "Fashion Slave" and a bit chaotic on "Heaven Forbid". I'm sure there's a potential hiding inside this band, but we just need a few more tracks to get sure about it! - Side-Line Music Magazine

The Medullary Paralysis hail from Italy, they are a three piece and according to the attaching press release have oft been compared to the Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson and Tears for Fears - although I’m suspecting that the Tears for Fears to which it refers are the little known dark half from a parallel universe TfF or else I need my ears testing. Winning hands down the longest song title this missive and probably for that matter any other missive before it, ‘we don’t drink, we don’t take drugs, we don’t have sex, we feel compassion’ may appear a rum do based on its name alone, the photo adorning the sleeve a distinctively austere purple and white shot of the band looking for all the world like the Manics dolled up as mascara wearing fetish styled Kraftwerkian mannequins. The sounds inside - ah well we’ll settle for shoe-gazing industrial disco as being the best way of off handedly describing them, ’compassion on the dance floor’ certainly has something of a ’pure’ era Numan cast about its matrix albeit dutifully dashed with a post apocalyptic My Bloody Valentine kaleidoscopic swirl, strangely majestic and crafted with a withering wide screen aspect pitted, riddled and distressed by an armoury of toxic beats, its seems the Medullary Paralysis have a grasp of that darkly hybrid techno charged fatal glamour that was once the trademark of Curve, through the cross fired haze of scrambled pouting and purring communiqués moments of clarity emerge casting suggestively demurred swathes of passion consuming oblivion. ‘fashion slave’ is a little more disjointed and decadently seductive in appearance, the NIN reference markers all to obvious through the oppressive desperate and dirty desire there’s a recalling of a would be Depeche Mode persona being re-threaded by an alliance formed of Clock DVA and 1919 types. Best of the set by some distance is the parting ’heaven forbid’ - replete with clipped strut grooves and purring and prowling like a beast on heat as its tensely freefalls into goth laced bliss draped euphoric states once the remit of the likes of Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilm and Flesh for Lulu. Single of the Missive. - the sunday experience

Aye aye. That’s what I thought when this CD came through the post some time ago with 3 rather glum-looking latex-goths emblazoned across the cover. That will be interesting I thought (and I hadn’t even read the title of the EP at that point). Probably a good thing they are not having sex – there would be some terrible sweaty chafing going on around all that latex (not to mention a lot of static being produced).

Then I listened to the EP and what do you know – it’s actually bloody excellent. All three songs originate in a very synthetic industrial glam (think early Ministry or offspring Revolting Cocks). Whereas ‘Compassion on the Dance Floor’ is the poppy one, ‘Fashion Slave’ backs it up with a sledgehammer grind core type of sound, more in keeping with Nottingham’s Ann Arbour. There’s an awful lot of fuzz on all three tracks but the overall result of these three Italians’ endeavours is startlingly good. Well worth a bit of further investigation. - Tasty Fanzine | Shane Blanchard

This industrial three-piece from Italy are the nuts. Despite the strange ultra lengthy title to this three track EP I really do think this band should be checked out. The Medullary Paralysis manage to create something very interesting and more importantly something you can dance to. Just have a listen to 'Compassion On The Dance Floor' you'll understand what I'm on about! This is certainly my favourite track though the third track 'Heaven Forbid' comes in very close with its darker sound. 'Fashion Slave' is certainly worthy of a listen though could have done with a little more dancey feel to it. I've played this a few times now and every time I discover something new in the sound and that's what makes a good record in my eyes. If the industrial scene is your thing I recommend you give these a listen. - Street Voice UK Music Magazine

Don't let the purple latex fool you! This Italian Industrial Glam band takes music to the future! After listening to their new EP, I was quickly drawn to the song, Fashion Slave. It's a heart pumping song reminiscent of old school Marilyn Manson and the brilliant soundtrack to the movie Queen of the Damned. Its beat is sexy and slinky while the vocals are smooth which creates a toxic combination that I can picture being used in any major motion picture or even on an indie goth designers runway! All the lyrics are in English which appeals to a much larger market. The band writes “In Italy we have little chance to be heard by international and open-minded professionals. Our lyrics are in English and we don't play Italian Pop: this is why we submit our songs all over the world, ready to pack up at any moment”. After one afternoon, I'm already a fan! I want to hear their music in the next great action movie or vampire movie! This band is going place! - Glam Rock Magazine

This short, sharp shock of futuristic noise is very cool indeed. Buzzsaw guitars and punky structures are beaten to a pulp with industrial beats and electronic effects, and the songs are good enough to take the beating. This Italian trio take goth, punk, glam and industrial music and throw themselves at it like a drunk hurls himself at someone who just spilled his pint and looked at his girlfriend.

“Compassion on the Dance Floor” is a sub-three-minute burst digitally processed bile, and is very refreshing. Indeed. The other two tracks on this release, “Fashion Slave” and “Heaven Forbid” are just as punchy. Their music kind of brings to mind Marilyn Manson circa the “Mechanical Animals” album, but attacked by the Wildhearts along the way.

I’d love to hear what this bunch of nutters would come up with if they got their hands on a proper record deal, and would like to put them forward to any prospective labels as something rather unique in the sea of mediocre sub-emo bands you’re having to trawl through at the moment. This is glamorous music for deviants, and it has a brain too. Scary enough for you? - PowerPlay Magazine UK | Andrew Hawnt