Umbah is a...um...we'll just simplify for now and say progressive industrial act from the UK. Arranged and performed entirely by Cal Scott, this is extreme music with a penchant for the avant garde. Ministry riffs crash into electronics, often bizarre vocal outbursts, and sporadic pace changes. There's more than a little Devin Townsend eccentricity to the weirdness, and I love it.
Aside from the predominant Jourgensen crunch, guitar will also dip into noodlings of freeform jazz on occasion. And despite the schizoid atmosphere, tracks like “Temple Bar” still manage to have an endearing pop sentiment. Vocals seem to come from every direction and style. One never knows when to expect death grunts or hybrid Bowie/Manson spoken word. So many voices, from the purposefully goofy to the artfully aggressive. Mike Patton could have fronted this madness with pride, but Umbah seems to do just fine without him.
The more I listen, the more I see Enter the Dagobah Core as a more extreme take on Mindless Self Indulgence. Though it is important to note that Umbah predates their existence by several years, the fact that there are very few groups who manage to get the weirdness to catchiness ratio quite right is high praise. Cal also puts his own spin on these ideas. Arrangements may have a similar electronic, bipolar nature; but he'll follow them up with “Dr. Geiger”'s MIDIized Meshuggah intro.
I could go on and on about these songs. The title track is a journey of virtual insanity fit for an Ohgr album. It's a wonky circus of pulsing beats and noise. “Mad Zu Chong” is extremely infectious in its rhythm and Angel Dust vox. And “Oberon Tales”...I have no idea. But “Rackburn Skin Expulsion” is a personal favorite with its thrashier dose of speed and aggression. The main point being: every song on this album has something to offer, and you need to make it a part of your collection. Today, if possible. You can buy it for 7 Euro, and be aware that Umbah actually has a rather large body of work with albums both before and after this one. The latest is available at Name Your Price.