Punish Yourself- Sexplosive Locomotive

Written by Shaun Phelps

Artist: [Punish Yourself]
CD Title: [Sexplosive Locomotive]
Label: [Active Entertainment]
Reviewer: [ This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]
Date: [08-19-2005]

French band Punish Yourself returns this year with their newest release, Explosive Locomotive. I recently received their 4 track promo release for this album, aptly titled, “4 Titles From the New Album Sexplosive Locomotive.” Having never heard of this band before I had to use my amazing skills of observation to draw an early opinion of what I was about to hear. Based on the cover of this album alone; all four musicians covered in a dripping mess of black-light paint in a way that looks more morbid than anything, coupled with a name like Sexplosive Locomotive, I was able to draw some assumptions:

One assumption is that this band is probably insane. Another assumption is that this band is high-octane fun, and yet another assumption is that this band is perverse in the worst way. Upon listening to this album I was quick, and happy, to discover that I was correct in all of my assumptions. Punish Yourself’s Sexplosive Locomotive is nothing short of a psychotic-erotic thrill ride that will grab at your ear, lick it, and then try to rip it off.

Punish Yourself seems to draw a lot of vocal influence from Das Ich, while grasping at the musical aesthetics of KMFDM and Ministry. These similarities do not keep this band from being original, however; as they have definitely found a niche of their own, throwing in just about every imaginable underground sound to a perfection that makes even gabber sound good. Punish Yourself’s 4 track promo is just as seductive as their sound—intense, erotic, and addictive in a way that leaves you begging for more.