Stellar Sonic Solutions (Trance Syndicate)
Somewhere in rock & roll heaven, an epic battle along the lines
of God and Satan’s battle for Job’s soul is occurring. KISS, Motorhead, the
Pixies, and H�sker D� are all grappling for the title of Starfish’s
Biggest Influence, but the Trance trio’s sound is uniquely its own, as is
Stellar Sonic Solutions. For a record that starts out quoting
Star Trek, the geek factor on Solutions… is surprisingly low.
What goes off the scale is the riff factor. Starfish have that certain
something that only the best riff bands possess: the ability to grab a riff
like a pit bull, then rough it up enough until it turns into a song. Many great
songs are born this way; some are killed, too, because it’s not pretty. This
debut would be a stronger if only a few more of the riffs developed into
honest-to-god songs, but Starfish is a young band, and this record’s potential
far exceeds its shortcomings. Riff factor 10, Mr Sulu. Engage.
(3.0 stars) – Chris Gray
This article appears in September 29 • 1995 and September 29 • 1995 (Cover).