Collaborative Dissection of 6:33

Being dedicated to the French music scene since the end of 2008, 6:33 has turned heads and made others think “Why the hell are we even trying?”; 6:33 was quickly picked up by a French label called M&O Music then turned right into the studio to work on their debut record “Orphan Of Good Manners”. It was released a few months ago, April to be exact, and we recently got our hands on it at the Blood or Love HQ so you know we had to do something fresh and funky with it since the record itself is just that, fresh and funky. The record might be a lot to take in but with guest appearances from Guillaume Bideau from Mnemic, Scarve and One Way Warrior plus Arno Stroble from Carnival In Coal, you can bet your ass that nothing could stop this record from taking off like a rocket. So, Sarah and I took it upon ourselves to start something new for you guys and it’s all about the conversation. Both of us give our input on the record and in the end, we came to an agreement. Read below to find out the rest.

Nicholas: Overall, how do you feel about “Orphan of Good Manners”?

Sarah: Reminds me of Mr. Bungle mixed in with some early Slipknot. I say that as a compliment.

Nicholas: I can completely agree with the Mr. Bungle reference because it’s 100 percent there. The Slipknot one is kind of iffy for me but I do hear small bits of early Rob Zombie and a tiny bit of A Perfect Circle but with more melody. Maybe that’s just me though.

Sarah: One thing that I do wonder about them is where the hell they got their name. 6:33 could be a point in time or a bible verse.

Nicholas: Could be but Matthew 6:33 says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”, I don’t know enough about the bands past or religious outlook on things but it has to be something more than that. The French can be pretty interesting people at times and this is most definitely one of those times. Maybe it was just some random dream/nightmare thing that was flashing in someone mind and they decided to use it. Anythings possible, right?

Sarah: Yeah, could be. They don’t seem like a religious band, to me personally. “Black Becky” is one of my favorite tracks. It’s very atmospheric, but fast paced at the same time. It’s also one of the ones that remind me of Mr. Bungle the most. Right down to the vocals.

Maybe you are asking why the band is called 6h33? Hum… It’s just because the founding member, after a hard drunkoholic night, have decided to start this musical concept! Thats it, and you… What will you do when 6h33 will come? [Taken from here]

Nicholas: See, that’s what I was about to ask you about. The tracks on the record and the speed of certain ones compared to others. If any track on the record gave me the aura of avant-garde, it would be “Black Becky” and “The Only One”, which is track seven. Interesting that you would say “Black Becky” gives you the sense of Mr. Bungle the most because “Drunk In Krakow” was overwhelming me a ton with the whole new wave/80s/ska feel. The only thing is that the track may sound like new wave/ska but at the same time it’s sort of original.

Sarah: Incidentally, I expected more from “Drunk in Krakow” since Carnival in Coal‘s Arno Strobl did some vocals in that. [We have come to know that Arno Strobl never did vocals in “Drunk In Krakow”.]

Nicholas: I loved the track for everything it was worth. I have no complaints at all but maybe because the track is just really simple with some samples, that could be why I love it so much.

Sarah: Well, though it has the ska feel, ska isn’t not exactly what I remember Mr. Bungle for. Bungle was all over the place though, so yeah. But moving away from Patton’s HS band, I guess one reason is because I feel that “Black Becky” simply outshined “Drunk In Krakow” for me. Yeah, it’s simple I agree and that it has its own charm. What do you think about the “Little Silly Thing” song series they got going in the album?

Nicholas: If we’re being completely honest, I wasn’t very pleased or sold on it the first couple listens through but around the fourth or so listen to the record I felt like I “got it”. To me, it was overshadowed by other tracks but that’s just me. Once I really just embraced the record as a single song and forgot that it has ten tracks overall, I sort of began to understand the whole record and appreciated it on a whole new level.

Sarah: Yeah, it has a nice flow overall. Songs make sense together and in the order they intended. I enjoy the second part of “Little Silly Things” the most. It’s a nice rest from the chaos of the first part. Well, ordered chaos, hehe. Speaking of samples, I really like the ones used in this album. “The Fall Of Pop” has the best out of the whole album for me. “I just wanna be dangerous.” It’s one of the songs on the albums that I would say is the most like industrial metal to me as well.

Nicholas: Well, you know I have a love for samples in music as much as I love my apple juice so I was all over those samples with a ton of eroticism. It’s funny you say that because I got this industrial feel through the whole record but at the same time I was confused as shit because the avant-garde realm is very much present and heart. Okay, I’ll admit that I was confused as fuck through the whole record but I was for sure enjoying what I was hearing from these masked men of confusion.

Sarah: Do you think the final and title track “Orphans of Good Manners” closes it off in a satisfactory manner?

Nicholas: Yes and no. I felt like the smoothness of the whole track was very brave and nice but at the same time I really wanted to go out with a bang. Maybe I wanted something more exciting or difficult to understand as a closing track but overall, I was happy with it. What about you? Dig it? Hate it?

Sarah: It has a “final” feel to it. It’s alright to me. An enjoyable listen regardless.

Nicholas: Alright, so with that said do you feel like the overall atmosphere was pleasing or did you just feel like you were being shit on by a horde of elephants? To me, “Orphan of Good Manners” is pretty much what I expected when you linked me to their Myspace/other pages. On the other hand, I came away with a huge sense that I just listened to a new Murray Head record, if he want metal and more dangerous.

Sarah: I liked it. I had to give it a few more listens to get the overall intent I think. In the end, the record made me happy. I like it when people push boundaries and come out with something successful.

Nicholas: I can agree with you on that point. I mean, I was happy with the end product but certain tracks just didn’t push my “buttons”, if you will.

Sarah: One thing, I love the vocals! Especially the fact that different band members contribute at certain times and in “Orphan of Good Manners”/track 10 all chime in (including Sombr I Yahn, Arnaud Strobl and Guillaume Bideau). I have one last question, what do you think is the theme of the album?

Nicholas: Oh, you might as well just fuck me sideways on that one because I have no idea. With certain songs I get the vibe of not being wanted in a certain area but in the same area I feel like 6:33 really does want to be the best at what they do. Maybe more of a positive attitude instead of the normal “lets be evil and rebel against everything” attitude that most metal seems to have. I’m probably completely wrong on that one but it’s what I get from it so I’m sticking with that horrible shit-brick of an answer. Does the record actually have a theme because if it does I would love to know. If I’m right, I win big bucks instead of being a penny pincher.

Sarah: I don’t know officially, but I get some social commentary that isn’t as direct or poignant. Look at “The Fall of Pop” for example. Title could allude to something in that vicinity if one wished to read into it. “Black Becky” I think is a play off of “Black Betty” in title. I could be wrong in that as well. When it’s all said and done though, I think the theme is a personal one with some obvious sexual undertones – which is an interesting inclusion. It’s not overdone and is a welcome addition. They’re a band that loves to play live (without a drummer even then) and I think they’re music plays into that too. A lot of energy for the audience to feed off of and play into.

Nicholas: We could go deeper and further into this record but the final verdict seems fair enough that we can both say we dig the record, correct?

Sarah: Yup, very much. It’s a keeper. I’m personally sending a shout-out and thanks to Kinky for contacting me some months ago and actually sending me their CD. It’s a welcome part of my collection.

Nicholas: I couldn’t agree more. Big shout out to Kinky for the recommendation and the word on this project, it’s much appreciated. Also, I’ll be keeping my version the record for future listening purposes.

Sarah: Buy the goddamned album and if you’re lucky enough to be in France, go to one of their upcoming gigs.

Listen to “Karmacoma” below:

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