Album Review: Gaslamp Killer - Breakthrough

“Do me a favour, and cut your vein” are just the opening words we might have expected on Gaslamp Killer's full-length debut Breakthrough; delivered from the depths of shamanic cohort Gonjasufi over appropriately jagged violins. It's been several years in the making and with a credit roll that lists many of Gaslamp's noted, darkened-alley dwelling brethren, expectations are high, with this writer envisaging nothing less than a deviant masterpiece; a grotesque carnival of misfits and freaks.

Gaslamp's flair for otherworldly samples continues to thrive, as Gonjasufi's second contribution has him croaking over what might have once been a Turkish sea shanty for the damned. But with a range of guest producers – including Samiyam who adds his peerlessly implosive beats to Peasants, Cripples & Retards – Breakthrough is clearly more of a studio-weened animal. There's a near overflow of potent phases – such as Amir Yaghmai's transcendental solo or the symphony of widescreen horror that lurks on In The Dark – but many of them remain less than fully developed. Pieces that start promisingly, often wind up frustratingly short – seemingly designed to be stun weapons in Gaslamp's already infamous DJ sets. Whilst a handful of songs segue smoothly into the next, it might've been more fruitful to go the whole hog and make it a mix disc, as the typical two second pauses in between tracks allows the atmosphere to ebb away.

An album littered, or possibly splattered, with great moments, yet it's not quite the definitive Gaslamp statement the unwashed minions were baying for.