★★★★☆
Plastician causes more head-bangs than a Mortal Kombat death move. Only brainless in so much as it digs a claw into your skull and scoops up grey cells as its trophy, Chris Reed strategizes with deliberated attack – dive bombs, dead-eyed snipers, sub-bass gorging on steroids (with mangling side-effects to match), thickening the air with gunsmoke and targeting clubs by unsheathing wild tectonic activity.
Kumarachi’s “Voyager” has percussion smashing more plates than a Greek get-down. Nomine’s “Waves” runs on old jungle bass to show there’s no frequency too old to void your bowels for you. Vicious Circle’s “Not Afraid” is the seek & destroy, future outlaw incarnate. Jaydrop’s “That’s How It Is” knocks over the 4×4 template, and Dream’s “Desolate” is the classic flipside of understating the firepower to maximise the tension. Emcees gamely crossing the grime divide are Newham Generals’ Footsie and the particularly rampant Merky Ace, and you can well say the mix is going back to dubstep’s roots and sticking to meat & potatoes marauding.
There is a deeper side: Mutated Mindz’ “Valentine Dreams” puts a megawatt charge through Cupid’s bow and arrow, and Plastician’s own “Alone Time” eases the collective migraine, but it’s no grey-shaded rumination, just the big guns told to a break from playing pat-a-cake with the panic button. The Allstars shall not be moved.
File under: MRK1, Slaughter Mob, Magnetic Man