''342'' is the second studio album by
French avant-garde metal band
Pin-Up Went Down
Pin-Up Went Down is a French experimental band. Although their music is mostly referred to as avant-garde metal, they describe themselves as "an experimental band blending art rock, metal, avant-garde, and pop." Pin-Up Went Down was formed as a ...
, released on 28 June 2010 through
Ascendance Records
Ascendance Records is an independent record label based in the UK founded by Lee Barrett (former bassist of Extreme Noise Terror and To-Mera, founder of Candlelight Records) and Sam Grant (writer, promoter, broadcaster and interviewer for ...
. It is the first album of the band which counted with the participation of Alexis Damien's brother, Nicolas Damien.
The title of the track "Vaginaal Nathrakh" is a pun on the name of
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
extreme metal band
Anaal Nathrakh
Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal band formed in 1999 in Birmingham by multi-instrumentalist Mick Kenney and vocalist Dave Hunt. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. The band's name is Irish for ''snake's breath'' ( aná ...
, while "Murphy in the Sky with Dæmons" may be a possible allusion to
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...
' song "
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written primarily by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnersh ...
". Judging by the song's lyrics, the "Murphy" mentioned in the song's title is
Edward A. Murphy, famous for popularizing the concept of "
Murphy's law".
Track listing
Critical reception
As with their previous album, ''
2 Unlimited'', ''342'' was also critically acclaimed; Mind over Metal gave it a 4.5 out of 5, comparing the band's sonority and aesthetics favourably to Alexis Damien's former project,
Carnival in Coal
Carnival in Coal is an extreme metal/ avant-garde metal band from France. Founded in 1995, the band mixed death metal, black metal and other extreme metal genres with genres such as easy listening, disco, and pop.
History
Originally, Carni ...
. Writing for Teeth of the Divine, Mikko K. gave the album a favourable review, also comparing Pin-Up Went Down to Carnival in Coal and to
The 3rd and the Mortal
The Third and the Mortal were a Norwegian metal band from Trondheim, founded in 1992. The band started out as doom metal, mixing distorted guitars and heavy drumming with clean guitars and vocals from Kari Rueslåtten. The band went on to experi ...
as well. Heavy Blog Is Heavy also gave ''342'' 4.5 out of 5 stars, stating: "Pin-Up Went Down have every capability of being a present-day
Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...
; if their name was put out there more, that could very well happen. For fans of experimental, progressive and avant-garde music, Pin-Up Went Down's ''342'' is a must-listen".
Pin-Up Went Down - 342 - Heavy Blog Is Heavy
/ref>
Personnel
* Aurélie Raidron (Asphodel) – vocals, photography, cover art
* Alexis Damien – vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, piano, drums, production, mixing, mastering
* Nicolas Damien – guitars, keyboards
* Romain Greffe – keyboards (on track 1)
* Benoît Bugeia – keyboards (on track 4)
References
External links
Pin-Up Went Down's official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:342 (Album)
2010 albums
Pin-Up Went Down albums