This is really their most atypical full-length studio album, emphasizing harsh, grating vocals and instrumental drones to a greater degree than anything else in their catalog. The throbbing percussion, though, would continue to be an element in everything they did, and quasi-Middle Eastern melodic motifs begin to assert themselves at times. Be aware that this, like all of
Savage Republic's work, is not a collection of "songs" in the conventional rock sense, although many have vocals; it's more like a collection of "pieces" designed to establish moods and textures. The album is also distinguished by its exotic packaging, lettered entirely in Arabic script. The CD adds seven bonus tracks, including everything from their out-of-print 7" releases from 1983 and 1984. ~ Richie Unterberger
