Artist: Towers of Hanoi
Album: S/T EP
Label: Barracuda Sound
Tracks: 4
Length: 14:44
Review by: Phil Nichols

mu-sic (myoo'zik) n. any rhythmic succession or combinations of sounds, usually pleasing to the ear

By definition it is safe to say that Towers of Hanoi technically play music, even though their rhythmic successions are not always pleasing to the ear. The band, comprised of members of the now-defunct Appalachian Drinking League, who pride themselves in their desire to create inspiring music, have now released their four song self-proclaimed "raw and emotive masterpiece."

mas-ter-piece (mas'ter·pes') n. A piece of art done with consummate skill.

Don't believe the rumors. This EP is not a masterpiece. In fact, this EP is very far from being a masterpiece. The bass and the drums complement each other very nicely on this album, making a pretty tight percussion section; the guitars, while the riffs are somewhat juvenile and nothing really outstanding, fit the music well; but the biggest problem for me are the vocals and here's why: articulation.

articulation (ar·tik'yu·la'shun) n. speech that is clear; an utterance of articulate sounds

There is very little articulation on this disc. I couldn't even tell that the EP was in English until I was two minutes into the first track. The vocals sounds operatic and pretentious at times, and they just don't fit with everything else that is going on in the background. Rather than helping the sound, they become a distraction and detract from the already somewhat bland effort. And when the vocals repeat the same uninteresting lyrics like "He is alone/There's no one in his home" it is hard to want to keep listening.

Only time will tell if Towers of Hanoi's 6 songs follow-up EP will be a real masterpiece. But in the mean time, if you are into the whole female-fronted rock/punk scene, then I recommend sticking with Denali and similar bands, because these guys (and girl) still have some polishing to do before they are worth a serious listen.