Most people do not know about the band Spineshank.
I know this, because on each frequent occasion where I bring it up to someone, they say, ‘Nope, I’ve never heard of them.’” But in a little pocket dimension from the early 2000s, stained with the harsh streaks of cyberpunk fiction, that same band created an album that blew its contemporaries out of the water. They strived to reach the height of callousness.
“The Height of Callousness,” Spineshank’s second album, was a landmark effort in the overlap between nu metal and industrial metal that populated the turn of the century. Bands like Dope, Static-X and Powerman 5000 delivered aggressive grooving alternative metal mixed with crunching and screeching synthesizers.
The first four tracks on the album are an immaculate stretch of songs, ending with the most successful single, “New Disease.” This song is a good example of the lyrical themes typically found on the album, combining expressions of emotional turmoil with the concept of a brand new infection being discovered, an idea which surely felt more like whimsical science fiction in the 2000s than it does now.
The aesthetics of the band around this time, which are reflected in the music, were similar to that of “cyberpunk” media: dystopian futuristic sci-fi where technology has advanced beyond human control and even started fusing with the human body. The world of Spineshank music videos like the one for lead single “Synthetic” believably takes place in a similar world as shown in movies like “The Matrix.”
Of course, the band’s lyrics are corny and over-the-top, but I truly do not mind. With an album so earnest and dedicated to being what it is, I would prefer sincerity to a point that approaches stupidity over utter apathy. I want to be engaged; I want to believe in the fiction and the music invites me to do just that. I am a big fan of themes like the fusion of the digital and the physical and the power that comes with possessing modern computer technology. The lyricists who worked on “The Height of Callousness” played with those themes like dolls completely unabashedly and I love it.
Getting into the latter portion of the album can be a mixed bag. A somewhat middling song like “Cyanide 2600” is immediately followed by “Play God,” which I would consider to be in the running for the title of best track of the bunch. Ultimately, any problems I have with some of these songs comes down to the songwriting element. Other pieces of the puzzle remain strong as ever until the end of the record.
Another standout factor of the album hiding in plain sight is that it sounds fantastic. The production and mixing are perfect for the genre. Furthermore, vocalist Jonny Santos was underrated during his prime – he could really wail when he needed to. As a huge vocals fan, Santos consistently delivers what I am looking for throughout the album, with tons of energy and a range of sounds and styles.
I would love to someday hear a revival of the sound achieved on “The Height of Callousness.” Some newer bands from the metal scene all the way to the pop scene have borrowed inspiration from some of the same ideas as Spineshank, which is always a delight, but as far as I have seen, no new scene has ever taken hold that truly succeeds in recapturing the pounding, seething mechanical spark the band captured at the turn of the millennium.
Although the industrial/nu metal scene and sound were limited in both popularity and duration, I am so glad bands like Spineshank and their contemporaries existed at all. Nothing scratches quite the same itch as this material. For any faults one might point out, I would still consider “The Height of Callousness” one of my favorite records, as well as one of the most shining examples of its kind.
Charlotte King can be contacted at
cking@kscequinox.com
