Powerman 5000
Somewhere On The Otherside Of Nowhere

January 2010
Released: 2009, Mighty Loud! / Fontana
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: Robert Williams

Powerman 5000 have been talking about releasing a new album since May of 2007 and their sixth full length studio album SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHERSIDE OF NOWHERE has finally been released a little over two years later. The Boston based five-piece fronted by Rob Zombie's younger brother Spyder One, has now existed as a musical entity for going on twenty years; enduring countless lineup changes and endless horror movie soundtrack appearances along the way.



SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHERSIDE OF NOWHERE opens with the intro track "Intelligent Creatures" cascading some eerie synth noises before delving into more standard industrial metal fanfare with "Show Me What You've Got" a track that would suggest the vocal phrasing Rob Zombie has used with great success could possibly run in the family. "Super Villain" the album's initial single; is executed rather mechanically and super distorted. Spooky disco synths and various drum machines make this track ready for your local goth discotheque. I could see "V Is For Vampire" being the kind of campy "industro-spook-rawk" that should play during the credits of the next blockbuster Hollywood slasher film. "Time Bomb, Baby" slams mid-tempo electro-beats alongside syncopated virtual tambourine and catchy vocal hooks. The album closes with the awful track "Horror Show" severely dating an otherwise average album of spook rock with it's juvenile and just plain stupid lyrics and delivery. Not sure if there is some kind of storyline that ties all of these tracks together, but it is of note that four of the album's eleven tracks feature samples taken from the film "Planet Of The Vampires."



Although this kind of music really is not my thing, I could see fans of Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and possibly KMFDM digging it. I'd really like to put over that this album carries a much stronger electronic musical presence than the PM5K's previous musical output and fan's of straight ahead rock music might want to evaluate their personal musical preferences before picking this one up.