"Nihil," a heavy/industrial act coming to you from Phoenix, Arizona, was
formed in 1994 by Scott Crowley, who assumes vocal and programming duties for the band. Joining him are keyboardist Vanessa Urso and bassist Tony Richey. "Drown" represents the trio's debut effort from Slipdisc Records.

Um, well, dear readers. I guess the rating says it all. I have, indeed,
experienced that which is mundane, derivative, and brain-oozingly boring,
and I survive to tell the tale. Actually sitting through each and every one
of this disc's sixteen cookie-cutter selections was frighteningly similar to
what it must have been like to endure bloody torture at the hands of the
diabolical Inquisition. You know that it's going to stop - that it has to stop - sooner or later. But until it does, the only slim chance you have at retaining a shred of your sanity through the merciless attack is the waves of unconsciousness that threaten to overtake you from one interminable,
directionless, senseless song to the next. It's amazing to think that so
much wall-pounding, teeth-rattling noise can, indeed, be sleep-inducing. But there you have it. Problem was, every time I managed to shake myself awake, it was only to face yet another selection.

If I were forced to describe the contents contained within the disc "Drown," I suppose the most fitting words would be "Industrial Music 101." There are so many cliche sounds and, yes, even attitudes on this album; so many tired and five-years-ago musical phrases and passages, that even an amnesiac would easily be able to recognize this little jaunt down this particular road as a path well-travelled a million times before. And in those rare moments on this CD that Nihil isn't intent on rehashing the pre-manufactured sounds of far better-known industrial/heavy bands with the fevered intensity of a wannabe painter hard at work at a paint-by-number kit, they're busy imitating themselves over and over again, as if it wasn't quite enough to rewrite the same song once, or
even twice. I mean, after all, while imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery, unfortunately, imitating yourself doesn't quite count.

Well, enough said. To boil it all down in as polite a manner as I can manage under the circumstances, the only recommendation I can give to buy this CD is if you've just had a root canal without anesthesia and you need something to remind you how much more cruel life could be. Otherwise, save your hard-earned money for the real thing. In a world full of rich and delicious musical choices, "Drown" has all the consistency and flavor of saccharin.