MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT - HIT & RUN HOLIDAY

Up to this point, the TKK (as they're known by their fans) were known for heavy leaden drum beats and harsh industrial techno. This aggressive electronic sound put them right alongside other industrial bands like Ministry and KMFDM. With this release, you could just see the fans running for the hills like rats abandoning a sinking ship. And truth be told, I was one of those who thought, "WTF?" when I first heard it. In fact, I remember telling some of the band members at a show in Vegas just how much I hated the new material. And yet... The disc has grown on me over the years and is now one of those albums I love to listen to completely through.

For those of you expecting pulp culture tongue-n-cheek spoofing as the TKK are so famously known for, you get it, but in a rather different way. 'Hit & Run Holiday' is like a B movie beach party. It embraces 50's culture to such an extreme you can almost picture Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon driving a down the Pacific Coast Highway listening to this disc with the top down.

Taken as a whole, this is a record that celebrates a very specific moment in time theme and should be enjoyed as such. The sad part is when you start dissecting the disc, many of the tunes don't hold up musically on their own. Don't get me wrong, they're all enjoyable, but it's the flow created that makes it so easy to digest. Once you break it down, you get different kinds of songs that can be categorized into further sub-genres. And not all in a good way. At one point, the band sounds almost like a bad Vegas lounge act. At other times, they sound more rockabilly than industrial. There's still a heavy rhythm section going on. You can certainly take comfort in knowing those dance beats are still in abundance.

My favorite tracks on the record are 'Chemical Cop-Out' and 'Mindcage'. Both are more in line with traditional techno of the time. 'Chemical Cop-Out' starts out with an aggressive beat that follows through to the very end of the song. It's got a staggered drum track I enjoy and the vocal delivery is great fun. 'Mindcage' seems almost out of character for the band. I'd say this was the drug trip song of the record. It's more ethereal and based on trance sounds than heavy rhythm. The drum track is pretty danceable though. The vocal delivery is more whispered and the vocals affected to give it an otherworldly quality. It's like listening to music on acid.

The artwork for the cover and the inserts reminds you more of 'The Valley Of The Dolls' than a TKK effort. Gone are the stark black covers with pulp culture pictures and satanic references. It's black and white, but the white is the background this time around. You get lots of slogans written on the packaging. Things like, "Keep your eyes on the road, and suck the wild", "Sister Rebel Outlaw!" and "Drifting like a stoned dog...". There are a number of re-occurring themes here. Driving and drugs are two of the most obvious.

This is definitely a record to put on when you're about to party in Vegas. Pull the top down, throw a few back, head on down to the strip and cruise along with this blasting out for all the world to hear. You'll be surprised just how perfect it is. My final words: 50'S CRUISING AT ITS BEST!

MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT - HIT & RUN HOLIDAY
01. Hit & Run Holiday
02. Glamour Is A Rocky Road
03. Portrait Of The Damned
04. Apollo 69
05. Chemical Cop-Out
06. Babylon Drifter
07. Hottest Party In Town
08. Golden Strip
09. The Doris Love Club
10. Mindcage
11. Mr. Eleganza
12. Universal Luxury
13. Hot Blood Risin'
14. Mission: Stardust
15. The Last Ride Out