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Rumah Sakit, "Obscured By Clowns"
Rumah Sakit craft instrumental rock with fierce energy and a bizarre structure that achieves stunning results. After their debut album on Temporary Residence, the members took a hiatus to concentrate on their other projects. Then they recorded some more, and those tracks appear here, but now, they're on hiatus again. Only two albums in three years might make some wonder about their longevity, and, in fact, there are rumors that this album may be the band's swan song.
If that is true, this would be a fantastic final effort. These songs crackle with the energy of a practiced ensemble, a group that has grown very comfortable with each other and is now ready to create almost symbiotic music. They are in the pocket on every note, and it's a joy to listen to. Considering its members are in other groups like Sweep The Leg Johnny and Howard Hello, as well as the Tarentel connection, this group is very energetic and focused, unlike most others in the genre. The instrument choices are very generic rock on this release, with bass, guitar and drums creating the noises, but it's no slouch for it. These songs are the band's best, and they know it. The ten-minute-plus title track starts and stops several times with perfect precision, while the strangely titled 'No One Likes a Grumpy Cripple' soars with squelching solos and ecstatic drum fills. Known for their amazing live shows that have to be seen to be believed, Rumah Sakit have also seen it fit to include a couple live recordings on the CD, as well, just to prove it's all for real. Of these, 'Go Horsey Go' is the more interesting, as it begins with a delicately played guitar arpeggio, then builds to a full firefight with all guns blazing. Hopefully it's not their last, as there's still a lot of mileage in this group of players.
 
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