Cirrus (1998) Back on a Mission

"There's one scrumptious anomaly here..."

Given my usual diet of rock and heavy metal records, one may question why I'd be interested or even poke my head into the Big Beat/Breakbeat quadrant of music. Well, to be honest, it really wasn't a choice per say, but rather a chance encounter that introduced me to Cirrus' music.

So, how would someone not interested in the genre be exposed to it? Licensed music, or more specifically licensed music within a video game. Some may remember the popularity of the Twisted Metal games during the early years of the original PlayStation. The first two games used original music but this changed when Sony switched development teams (to the distain of many) for the third and fourth games. These games contained music from several heavy metal outfits, most notably White Zombie/Rob Zombie. So where does Cirrus come into play? The tenth track on this album - "Times Running Out" - plays in the second stage (Neon City) of Twisted Metal 4.

While I don't dabble in video games as much as I use to despite the fact it's still a large part of my identity, why would anyone be so concerned about a piece of music used in a twelve year old video game? I've always enjoyed video game music and how it coincides with the action on the screen. This usually doesn't apply when a game opts for licensed music, but the Twisted Metal sequels found a nice balance with this and the tracks selected really helped enhance the wreck loose automobile combat. "Times Running Out" really nails this feeling in the dark cityscape it plays in, but what about the rest of the album? What does it offer?

Like a little devil wringing his hands with evil grin, the rest of the album has little to do with this track. I was hoping to hear some similar pieces or pieces that contained the same architecture and sound but no. "Times Running Out" is a true anomaly and definitely feels tacked on to the end of the album. I can't say the rest of the album is bad, but it is certainly isn't what I'm looking for. It's a mystery as to why this song feels so full, almost as if a full band was behind it and the rest are more reminiscent of what would expect from a trace/techno duo. The biggest disappointment has to be the fact there are no lyrics in the booklet; I was dying to find out what they were singing about only to find out I will never know.

CONCLUSION:

If anything, Back on a Mission is a reminder that disappointment is an essential part of discovery and that misleading anomalies exist in the world of music as well. That said I've no problem taking that one moment of magic and adding to the vast well of music I keep on hand and leaving the rest to its own devices.

Overall Score: 4/10