Imagine, if you will, stepping into a carnival circus tent, inexplicably erected in the middle of a dark, foreboding wasteland (similar to the setting of the game Soul Reaver). Immediately a scary looking clown hands you cotton candy, and straps you to an electric chair, all the while laughing uncontrollably. An Alice Cooper-ish ring master steps out into a spotlight, glowing red, and announces the show's beginning. The gigantic robots come out for the battle, and then you realize that it's you who they're after. Only you're strapped immobile to the electric chair. And your cotton candy has fallen to the ground. This, gentle reader, is a metaphorical description of what plays in my head every time I play this CD.
After searching my database for apt style descriptions to describe this CD, I'm happy to announce that NONE EXIST. Well, actually none that would do it justice. This is one of those all-encompassing bands that forces me to make up a style, and with Misguided by Argyle Park, that style is Evil Disco. Yep. That about covers it. The foundation is hard-edged electronica, but it seems that the band wanted to cram just about every other style in existence on the CD. There's elements of techno, dance, goth, thrash, death metal, some rapping (at the end, on "Doomsayer", with guest vocalist Mark Solomon), darkwave...and if my ears don't deceive me, there might've been some carnival music thrown in there for good measure. Yikes. Some of the highlights of the CD are the introduction entitled "Refuge", which sets the tone of the album up right away. Creepy. This bleeds into "Headscrew", which starts off as a couple of seconds of speed thrash metal, then shifts to aggro-techno industrial, then shifts yet again to dark ambient, then back to the speed thrash, and then to the aggro-techno...'scuse me, I need to pop some Ritalin. "Scarred For Life" is one of my all-time faves from the CD; it's heavy-as-stink techno-driven industrial and samples from the movie Escape From New York. "Misanthrope" is an instrumental techno-industrial track with The Lawnmower Man samples. But, before you can stick this in to the general "heavy" category, a song like "Circle" pops up, with its ambient feel and some beautiful female vocals to throw the listener into disarray. There's some hidden tracks that are worthy to be checked out, such as the original ending of the CD (it was a continuation of the opening intro, only the record label deemed it too controversial to include it, so the band hid it within behind the exec's collective back), an instrumental ambient track and a couple of answering machine messages.
Now, as far as lyrical content, I would like to post a quick disclaimer: PRAY HARD BEFORE CHECKING OUT THIS CD. Misguided is not exactly a pick-me-up record. In fact, the whole vibe I got was someone who was betrayed and damaged by either a fellow Christian (for that I can truly identify with), family member or friend in general. This is not a record to take lightly. For instance, the song "Leave Me Alone" rants "Push shove you're always in my face / You never showed me love / I've never felt your grace understand / Leave me alone". "Scarred For Life" repeats "You never told me, you never cared / You never showed me what I would face out there". Although I understand the need to vent, especially if you feel you've been wronged and no one seems to care (especially if the person who wronged you is a professing Christian), there's also something to be said about mentioning the "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger" side of weathering the storms out. Although the question of whether or not the band acknowledges their belief and reliance on God is put to rest in the tune "Doomsayer" (yes, they're Christian), if one is not careful, you might be subjugated to bouts of self-pity.
All-in-all however, Misguided is a well recorded, well produced, well written and well played CD. It's very innovative, being one of the best industrial/electronic/aggro discs I've heard in both the Christian and non-Christian markets. Plus, it's a great to listen to while watching the X-Files with the sound turned down. If you're into trendsetters like Circle Of Dust, Klank, Nine Inch Nails and Mortal and abhor the trendsurfers, this one's for you.
8/10
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2004Reviewed by Josh MarihughIn the spring of 1996, I first heard an Argyle Park song on the radio. "Doomsayer" intrigued me, and I immediately went out to try to find the album. Unfortunately, by this point, R.E.X. Records had closed their doors, and the Misguided CD was already difficult to find. While I continued to search used music stores and the like, I settled for a dubbed cassette copy, courtesy of a fellow youth…Dead Zine 2002Reviewed by FletchNormally, I'm not a techno fan. However, this album has something about it that appeals to me. Many of my friends really like this CD, even more of my metal and hardcore friends do. I don't share the same feelings for it but I must say that this is probably my favorite techno CD, in fact it's my only techno CD, unless you count the Circle of Dust albums. Musically, Circle of Dust and Argyle Park…The Conqueror Worm Jun/Jul 1995Reviewed by argylleattn. this review is not affected in any way by the reviewer's name being argylle--okay, this is probably my new favorite album and/or group. a.p. is made up of buka, dread, and deathwish (it's nickname mania!) and a slew of guest stars including jerome and gyro from mortal, jim thirlwell of foetus, tommy victor of prong, jeff belew of cbx, mark solomon of native son and the late(?) crucified, of…Heaven's Metal #53Reviewed by Spiny NormanOkay, you heard "Drive, He Said" on the Steve Taylor Tribute album; now Argyle Park debuts a whole album's worth of weirdness. Those of you who may have guessed that there's a Circle of Dust connection, and that it's going to sound like Circle, are way off base. Although some tunes rage with a frenzied speed metal thrash attack, most of the album deals in the techno/dance arena. There's also some…The Lighthouse May 1995Reviewed by Bill ThomasThe first thing that caught my eye was the big yellow sticker that read "Produced by Scott Albert of Circle of Dust." I was anxious to see if this album was another top-notch Christian industrial release like Circle of Dust, Brainchild, and Under Midnight. Listening to track one, I began to grin as my expectations were realized. A deep thunderstorm and a powerful, inhumanly-distorted voice filled…Similar sounding releases
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