Yuck! This eight-song cassette is full of some of the sorriest attempts at vocal harmonization I've ever heard, and that's just the beginning. Apparently Court Jester don't give a hoot about product quality either. Not only are the musicianship lackluster and the vocals borderline horrendous, the printed cover isn't even grammatically correct. Aside from the obvious missing apostrophe in the tape's title, one of the song titles is actually misspelled. Please, no editorial complaints about creative license. Nobody spells island "isalnd".
Enough about picayune QA gripes. It would be unfair for me to say there is nothing worthy of praise on this tape. Actually, some of the driving thrash rhythms could inspire serious moshing, and the drums offer precise and interesting thunder to the final product. Even the production shines at spots, such as in "And When I Dream" and "The Chosen One."
But what good is an adequate mix when the vocals are so poorly executed and off-key -- or when the songwriting is so stale and weak -- or when the guitar solos on the recording are little more than furious, dissonant garbage slapped into the nearest available space? And what good is solid drumming when you have to pick through so much spoiled, rotten waste to get to the good meat?
Judging by this recording, Court Jester are little more than musical clowns, and if you buy this tape, the joke is definitely on you.