Klayton's Celldweller Brings Electro Rock to the Fold

Though released a little over 3 years ago, Klayton's latest project remains a relatively low profile outfit, and perhaps for good reasons. It has its highs and lows in any element given and buries common structuring boundaries, though it adheres to many known hooks to simply sound good the first time you listen. It's seen some playtime in movie soundtracks, but then so do punk rock bands that you can't tell from one another.

Many discussions relating to the album claim it is industrial music. Uh, sorry, if you think Celldweller is straightforward industrial, you should pull up a chair and take some lessons in how to differentiate genres. The Industrial genre that was practically pioneered by elektro production monsters Skinny Puppy, gothicized by Ministry and refined for popular audiences by Nine Inch Nails is steadily dying these days, if not already dead and viewing some last rites. Though some industrial elements pop up here and there in Celldweller (particularly in "Frozen" and "Symbiont"), Klayton's work generally spans through nu-metal (often heavily processed), death metal, trance and dark techno.

Some styling can be noticeably inspired by Trent Reznor, though Trent can at least be patted on the back for sincerity and realism. Celldweller's debut is massively processed in any angle you can imagine; vox, sudden shifts, synth mapping, beat slicing, scratching, guitar equalizing/filter/compression...and the list goes on beyond my comprehension. The intricate and often unrealistic production put into these songs do add a level of engagement and intrigue. The fact that some songs will have you pumping along with catchy guitar hooks and then suddenly hit the brakes and fire you into a dark techno groove creates a wonderfully spastic audio journey. Some of these events are done slower and in a much broader scale, slinging you from a fast-paced, irritating beginning to an ambient and catchy dancefloor finale (specifically "Symbiont").

One of the most important things modern music needs, in my opinion, is vulnerability. This can be provided in two ways; lengthy, patterned stretches and sudden pattern shifts - both of which defying common structuring. Celldweller provides both - maybe not on a regular basis, but there are plenty of unpredictable variables to be heard on a majority of songs (the first single, "Switchback," being the biggest exception). They aren't freeform by any means, but they defy total and typical control issues and often present a different interpretation on a song's chorus for every chorus ("Switchback" and "Frozen" the biggest exceptions). This quality can keep the disc interesting and exciting to revisit, even considering the mainstream melodies and vocal styles.

And speaking of vocals, there's really not much to say about Klayton. The dude has a puny melodic voice, using it terribly in the chorus of "Switchback," and most attempts at screaming aren't pretty, though some gruntings are well executed and mesh perfectly with heavy guitar mashing, often reminiscent of death metal band Mushroomhead. Most of the prominent vocals are heavily processed, making it obvious how much dependence is placed on production.

Yet, as can be guessed by my bashes thus far, Klayton's work, both musically and visually, is incredibly vain. If you claim to be a Celldweller fan and don't know what Klayton looks like, you'd better have a cane, pair of sunglasses and guide dog. 'Cause otherwise, something is dreadfully wrong with this picture. The video for "Switchback" is a painful example of just how deeply concerned he is with imagery, not to mention a compact, easy listen for video viewers (nearly a minute and a half was cut out of a mere 5 minute song). Obnoxious hair styles coupled with a ragged, fantastical and effeminate wardrobe left me wondering, "Is this a guy or a renegade emo lesbian?" Less time could have been spent on futuristic screen splits for decent choreography, because many of the angles zooming in on twirpy spins and guitar-slinging skirt kicks from Kem are quite the turn-off.

But, all in all, balancing between the clichés, vanity and spastic styling, Celldweller is a promising voice in mainstream electro rock. One can only hope that the upcoming album will refine on the better and release the vain pop roots (though the monthly updates on the Myspace page, given by Klayton himself, display an audience-pleasing attitude that more than likely implies more hideous clichés should be expected). 7 out of 10 is where I stand for this one.