What’s the 4-1-1?
Switched jumped onto the music scene with the release of their 2002 Immortal/Virgin Records release Subject to Change. Despite selling 100,000 albums, the group left the label due to internal business problems. Before leaving the label, Switched worked on demos for their sophomore release, but never released any of them. Ghosts in the Machine is a two disc collection that features the final products of those demos, more unreleased demos, B-sides and rarities from the group spanning 2000 to 2004.
Genre
Hard rock / metal / industrial / hardcore
The Good
Disc 1: The 11 tracks here are the finished demos, and as soon as I heard the killer guitar tone on “Save Myself,” I knew I was going to like this album. The driving riffs are straight out of the 90s metal time capsule. Even though it has the most clichéd title in rock history, “Like Suicide” is actually a cool tune. Vocalist Ben Schigel leans heavily on melody rather than his typical growling, but it works just the same. The intensity returns briefly on “Shattered.” It’s a nice mix of intensity and emotion. The opening riff of “I’m Falling” is sure to get fists pumping and tempers flaring for a rumble in the pit. “Drowning” keeps the energy flowing with pounding drums and manic guitar rhythms. Schigel delivers like Jekyll and Hyde on “Memories of You.”
Disc 2: The demos and live tracks are featured here. “Spread” comes off like a mix of Dope, Alice in Chains and Deadsy all rolled into one. The faded riffs on “Inside” have a classic 70s rock feel to them; Schigel delivers a darker, more sinister Scott Weiland. “Anymore” is another track that is full of piss-and-vinegar, despite its mellow sections. The band’s version of Thomas Dolby’s “She Blinded Me With Silence” is unique to say the least. Whereas the original version is not exactly something you’d admit to liking (although we all know you do), this version is worth of a heavy metal following. I like how the guitar mimics former vocal parts. The second disc rounds out with four impressive live tracks that were recorded in Miami back in 2001.
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