Showtime

Performer: Nitzer Ebb
Producer: Flood
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Nitzer Ebb: Bon Harris (vocals, percussion); Douglas McCarthy (vocals). An early industrial-techno crossover effort, SHOWTIME shows Nitzer Ebb developing a more sophisticated approach to its own brand of synth-driven anthemic rock. "Getting Closer," the opening track, announces the change. Its melody rides a keyboard, marking a departure from the almost exclusively percussive arrangements of earlier Nitzer Ebb albums. The band's tried and tested bare bones method works fine for "Rope" and "All Over," however. The melodies really come into play in "Lightning Man," by far the most spectacular cut on SHOWTIME, which utilizes an extravagant oboe sample in its chorus. Though the album marks a departure for Nitzer Ebb, it still bears the band's signature. Steady, fast, danceable electronic rhythms and energetic vocals make this record a treat for Ebbheads everywhere.

Q - 3 Stars - Good - "...easily their most accessible and flexible..." Reflex - "..Showtime reveals a more human face to Nitzer Ebb."

Led by apoplectically enthusiastic frontman Douglas McCarthy, Nitzer Ebb built up a following in the mid 1980s with frenetic live performances. Taking its cues equally from dance, synth pop, and punk styles, the Brit threesome released five pulsating singles before issuing its popular 1987 debut, THAT TOTAL AGE. By its third record, SHOWTIME, Nitzer Ebb began to expand on its basic fast-paced anthems, injecting jazz and funk into the mix. The core duo of McCarthy and keyboardist Bon Harris unofficially parted ways in 1995, and while they were initially ignored by critics, Nitzer Ebb has built up a legacy as among the foremost innovators in industrial dance music.

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