New York indie band, "Flu Thirteen," makes up for what they lack in notes with an intense energy. Lead singer, Tomas, and Anthony Cangelosi, both play guitar, while Lawrence Sullivan supplies bass and Christopher Sanchez handles the drum kit. The band had an indie seven-inch, "Edgar's Airwaves," and a full release, "Spin Cycle," before being signed to Medicine. "In the Foul Key of V" is their third release thus far.

The songs on "In the Foul Key of V"  remind me most of "Tool," although they have an entirely different sensibility. Notes repeat endlessly through some of the songs, dulling the senses to the point where any change is welcome. Dissonant notes keep things moving. This description makes the album sound completely unlistenable, but for some reason it is listenable, despite everything I've just said. They use the repetition to good effect, interrupting it with unexpected changes, and, at times, surprisingly melodic lead and backing vocals - when they aren't screaming, of course. The songs are bare, at times, to the point of irritation.

Cacophonous repetitive guitar notes mark the beginning of "My Beijing Hot Rod." The vocals remind me of the those of the late 70's band, "Angel." The lyrics are impenetrable, sounding somewhat poetic, but meaningless. "Unknown to None" sounds much the same. A steam roller beat forces the song along almost against its will. Listening is like being caught in quicksand, yet there's something strangely compelling about this song. One passage sounds muffled, as though played through a bad speaker. Guitar notes filled with uneasiness open the song "A Sweater for the Cold War." The intro reminds me of Robert Fripp. It's soft, with a raspy whispered vocal. Slowly the beat emerges, growing faster, then slowing again. At just over eight minutes, this song is unbelievably long, given that it has only sixteen lines. It fades out with the discordant guitar notes, just as it began.

"Graffitti on a Ceramic Iceberg," starts off running, with loud vocal and
pounding guitars. Backing vocals harmonize and clash with lead vocals, just as the guitar notes do. The repetition makes you want to scream sometimes, yet what they've achieved here is intriguing. The lyrics are doing the same thing as the music. Clashing images and music come together to form an ugly whole, commanding the listener's attention. "Stale" is somewhat less interesting. Repeated notes pulse on the eardrums, lulling them, while the screaming vocal irritates.

Acoustic guitar soon mixes with a whining, pained vocal on "Sadder Than
Severe." It's under two minutes long; a sharp contrast with the length of "A Sweater for the Cold War." This is one of four songs that doesn't come with liner notes. The instrument and vocal combination creates a claustrophobic feeling. Screaming vocals and guitars on "Accessing the Know How" form a clear break from "Sadder than Severe." This is headbanging music of the highest order - angst ridden and disturbing - yet the vocal softens in places, contrasting with the rest of the song, creating islands of sanctuary amidst the violent whole. "Some will say to try again/ Some will say that it's the end. . ."

"Jerome Does a Dance in High Fidelity" features hammered inharmonious guitar notes, crashing loudly. It's entirely instrumental and as such is the second song not on the lyric sheet. "Romeo-Core" has a scratchy guitar beat opening. Tomas' vocals mesh well, varying here more than in most of the songs. At the end, one of the guitars sounds more like a vacuum cleaner. They're definitely not looking for a clean sound.

"Fourth Rail Telegram" sports a lengthy intro with a deep bass beat and
winding riff laden guitar. Finally,  Tomas' lyric softly weaves its way into
the mix. It stands out as one of the more melodic and less repetitive songs. The high vocal on the title refrain is a pleasing touch toward the end. "Two Dollar Polka's" clashing melody is laid out in the intro with one guitar. All the other instruments come in with a crash. Tomas' vocals vary from melodic softness to an uninhibited clamor.

Ticking and guitars start off soft and sensual on "The Ghost of the Organ
Player at the Hockey Coliseum." Synthesizer hauntings begin weaving among the notes, slowly overwhelming them. The clock-like ticking speeds up as the guitar's fall off, leaving nothing but the ghost and time. This is another instrumental, which is quite innovative and moving.

This is a surprising album, thick with hidden qualities that only come out
with repetition. I found myself going back to the top of my file and adding
1/2 stars to the rating as I continued to listen and write. My initial
impression was that "Flu Thirteen" was just another loud, angst ridden, metal band. There is much more here than meets the eye. It's loud, obnoxious and unforgiving, but also engaging, infectious and rhythmic. The band has a talent for interesting song titles as well. This is a great album by a gifted band.