ELEMENT A440

ELEMENT a440 Live Show Review
Written by CCP Staff
Wednesday, 16 February 2005
Mason Jar – January 28th

I had been in anticipation of this event since the moment I was first informed of it. I had my doubts as to what to expect from this trio as my preconceived notion was that they were comparable to devil worshipers and honestly that scared me some. When I arrived at the Mason Jar, it was all I expected – filled with dark, dark people. The vibe was instant. And then I saw the merch girls slinging the shirts displaying the words that almost scared me away in the first place “Fuck Your God.” Fear overwhelmed me once again. Am I going to hell for even being here?

The crowd gathered in front of the stage. I stayed up on a stool against the wall to avoid the moshing I knew would eventually occur. The camera crew set up shop for the video they were creating and Element took the stage.

What transpired in the moments to follow was an engaging experience in which Trick, December and Halo interacted with the audience sometimes having full control over them. The first song and Element owned them. I was impressed but had my doubts as to how long this submissiveness would continue. It never ceased.

The tragic world events displayed on the screen only gave me further insight as to this band’s message. I even accepted it and eventually found my Catholic baptized self screaming words like “suck it,” “burn it down” and “fuck your God.”

I read another review on an Element show and discovered the set list was changed up and there were strippers as opposed to just the dancers I saw. Realizing one can never know what to expect from Element, I can’t wait to see them again.

You have to see the video when it’s complete. I recommend seeing them live before buying the album. You will appreciate the album much more. So go see their next show March 12th at Chasers and then buy the album “Selfish” from the merch girl and maybe even get your mom a baby doll that says “fuck your god.” Maybe you should take a date. I spent the majority of the show suffering from increasing masturbation frustration. My husband went to sleep a very satisfied man. An unforgettable experience for all.

- Written by CCP Staff

Thank you-know-who for Mormons, because we never would have had good ol' blasphemous goth music otherwise. The blurry rear cover photo of element a440's debut album makes the troubled trio of Halo, Trick and December look like Columbine trick-or-treaters (singer Halo looks especially spookish with his severely razored Nixon hairline), and they've mined the territory with nary a hint of nostalgia. "Fuck your God," they sing, "fuck everything and fuck me" -- you can just see the principal's notes coming home for fans brazen enough to wear one of the band's tee shirts at school. And just savor the lawsuits if the stereo-panned whispering of "suicide, suicide" on "Kill Me" gives little Junior any bright ideas. The best example of a440's potential accessibility, "Dance Dead," has the right amount of robotic beats per minute for effective strobe-light choreography, and the least amount of objectionable lyrics for airplay. With a nod to the ailing Dick Clark, element a440 has got a good dark beat, and you can dance dead to it.
- Phoenix New Times

I have been waiting for this album to come out for six months. So many bands “put together” a CD in less time than that, and I couldn’t understand what was taking element a440 so long. Now that I’ve heard it, I realize where all that time went. This CD has more thought and planning put into it than most national acts. In a time when bands like Nickleback come out with three discs in three years that all sound the same, Selfish is beyond anything in popular culture today. It’s not just the music, which is stunningly well crafted and passionate. From the lyrics to the art –and every other detail- this disc is meticulously thought out and executed with flawless grace.

The music is dark, heavy, and melodic. Whether Halo is lamenting pain or inviting the youth to slit their wrists at his feet, it is beautiful. I can see this album being one of those CDs that parent’s find in their kids’ room and freak out. While it is a purely awesome creation, Selfish is also offensive enough to piss off anyone who doesn’t believe in porn or blasphemy. I haven’t seen anything like it since before the explosion of whiny and politically correct pop-rock that has taken over the radio waves.

Selfish is definitely something you have to experience for yourself. You can find it for sale on their website at www.elementa440.com, or you can pick up at their upcoming CD release in August. No matter what else you do, check out element a440. These guys are everything music has been missing.

- S.L.A.M. magazine