Counter Culture

Phantom Ratio Review

We’ve been to Hell …. So you don’t have to!

From the PR guys, particularly Brad:

“We have travelled space and time with our well known, but very top secret, invention. Becoming, a tactically versatile and highly competent, scientific awareness unit. We know how to operate our equipment just about as well as we need to. I personally am far more satisfied, but ironically far less monetarily rewarded with phantom ratio than anything I’ve ever done musically… A progression from misery, to the evolution of life, all life.. and, ourselves, sacrifices must be made.”

Industrial post punk trio, Phantom Ratio, formed in the not so distant past, and they have been kickin ass and taking names ever since.

Meet the Band: (click on this to see them live on youtube)

Eric Stene is a long-time veteran of the San Diego music scene.  He has played in countless bands from 1984 to the present.  Prior to Phantom Ratio, he is best known for being the guitarist/noisemaker for the seminal San Diego band Night Soil Man, where he played alongside Mark Trombino and Mike Kennedy, who would go on to become the rhythm section of emo lords Drive Like Jehu.

Jimi Flynn is the stick man for PR.  He played with ministry of truth in 1984 and 85, a band with a so-cal punk sound. He then played in Eminence from 1986 to 1989.  Eminence moved more into the speed metal genre. Both bands were based in San Diego. 

Jimi has always been a music enthusiast in all of its forms and genres.  For personal reasons, he put playing on the back burner.  After getting clear and clean, he’s picked up his sticks again. Jimi said recently he feels as though he is playing better than ever and is more comfortable in his own skin(s)…

Brad Davidson, I knew back when I was a teenage punkette running rampant in Portland.  Brad gained much local respect when he was recruited as the bassist for Portland favourites, the Wipers.  Those of us who were on the younger end of the punk scene then, were quite proud that he got that gig, as the Wipers are near and dear to many a heart in the Northwest.  Following much recording and several tours with the Wipers, Brad started a 3-piece Metal punk combo, called “Klaw.” In this band he began writing.  He also was learning to sing and play bass simultaneously.

In 92, he was drafted into the Jesus and Mary Chain, while living in London.  Brad is an old road dawg, who could do 28 shows in 30 days.. with the JAMC he went on to do the 92 Lollapalooza tour, the Rollercoaster II tour, and the Jools Holland show with Paul Weller taping that night. His contract was cut short due to his party like a mutherfucker attitude…a true Rocking Roller..

Brad ended up back in the US of A.  He met Jimi Flynn and Eric Stene after moving down to San Diego.

Brad was lured by Eric’s guitar, where in parts he sounded like Helios Creed/ Chrome, one of his and Eric’s main influences. Brad says he was encouraged by the way they “jelled together and seemed to have an almost telepathic complimentary connection.”

The band soon after made their 1st recording with a friend, Theo Miserlis,  who engineered the mechanical section of that session.  The plan now is to release a second recording which was completed last summer.  It is said not to be for the faint of heart.

The CD, recorded in 2010 at Chaos Recorders in Escondido, features:  ( hear their songs here…)

§  Secret Invention

§  Skrew your face up

§  God Told Me

§  Gravity

§  Path of Least Resistance

§  The Growth

Phantom Ratio on MySpace

You can contact them here for gigs, tours and assorted craziness: phantomratio@gmail.com

Adam Marx of New Rock News 43, describes these guys like this,

“These guys are as classic punk/sludge-rock as you can get, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they’re the brainchild of a former Wiper and friends. It’s almost as if the Wipers and Melvins got together and had a child: a sick, twisted, demented monster of a kid that loved to play loud, fast, and hard.”

Secret Invention,  Blimey, heavy post punk slashing melodic badness!  The vocal and bass combo are guttural and grungy. The guitar’s heavy rock riffs drive this like a Camaro at high speeds over a cliff..  These guys were made for each other, and they are smoking. The birth of the next generational scrungy post punk metal madness.

Screw Your Face Up Pulsing heavy dementia with razin vocals that despoil and lay waste to your last shred of innocence.. Hammering drums drive this one right through your soul.

Gravity this one kicks off like classic Iggy then melts into a Helios inspired post punk collision.  The guitar riffs on this one run up and down your spine, then smash you upside the head before laying back into that lashing garage rock goodness that we all loved from Iggy.. and I loves me some Iggy… I have to say I am seldom impressed with what passes as new and popular rock these days.. but these boys have found grandpa’s secret recipe…

The diamond in the rough, in this pile of gems, is God Told Me To.  This has everything an old jaded punk diva requires!  Full throttle is putting it mildly.. this tune smokes from start to finish leaving you gasping for more. Davidson’s animal magnetism and pure crunchy guitar rock-god brilliance on this one. Thanks for that, guys!

News:

News on the street is there is a Greek label threatening to release their recordings, and there is supposed to be an interview with Dimitris Antonopulos (a major rock Dj in ATHENS) which aired a couple of weeks ago.

Adam Marx of newrocknews43, located in Massachusetts has done a recent review of the boys here:  He was so impressed, he is talking about putting some sort of tours together and is busy recruiting these guys.

In the works: recording a song for the upcoming Helios Creed tribute album, requested by Helios’ Manager,  as these guys have said in passing that they  are Helios fans. Did I mention HUGE Helios fans?  And writing new material which is even more sophisticated for your weird palates.