Pendulum – Propane Nightmares

• 2nd May 2008

Are Pendulum losing their stranglehold on the drum n bass cross-over market?

Their relentless Slam left dancefloors quaking and terrorised daytime playlists for three minutes when it was released, and still does the job three years later, a huge, throbbing, swelling sound stood it apart from mostly identikit drum n bass tunes that rarely caught the attention of anyone other than hardened clubbers and irate neighbours.

Propane Nightmares bares similarities to its predecessor but this time around the sound just seems a little tame, perhaps time and the now familiar slam have taken away Pendulum’s once apparent edge, perhaps they are not trying hard enough anymore, or perhaps they are just trying far too hard.

The pulsing electronic heart of the track still holds weight but the track is cluttered with bizarre elements that water down its impact, the third rate vocals are wholly unnecessary, as is the echoing vocoder, and the jury is still out on whether the Mexican horn section should stay or go.