Giles - Giles (Cover Artwork)
Staff Review

Giles

Giles (2005)

Victory


Why? I mean, sure, hearing that Between The Buried And Me's front-man Tommy Rogers has an electronic side project may lure you into listening, as it did for me. But without knowing such information, would anyone genuinely enjoy Giles? Maybe. But that in itself is uncomprehensible to me.

This album sounds like Marilyn Manson on ecstasy... at a rave... with glow-sticks... telling jokes. Jokes of which I cannot understand for the life of me; "You can't stash a child / You can't eat your shit / Fuck the rules, let's squirm this pit." I know that the coolest thing a band can do nowadays is not discuss emotion whatsoever, but stashing children and eating shit? Sounds like Cannibal Corpse to me. But it's not fair to judge a band on lyrics alone.

I don't quite understand how Tommy Rogers mimics the voice of Jonathan Davis so precisely. Perhaps it's a gift, whereas I'd call it a misfortune. Perhaps his voice is overproduced somewhere along the way. Regardless of the reason, it's definitely a contributing factor to why I can't seem to get into this album. The simplistic, repetitive beats aren't too impressive, either.

Don't be mislead by the comparisons, the front-man's credibility, or the fact that the album's artwork is aesthetically pleasing. Sure, Giles' debut will have you tapping along to the beat in some way, shape or form, but that doesn't give it the power to hold up against other electronic projects that tower over it.

MP3s
Slumber Party
Go Centipede