Time Boom X De Devil Dead

AMG Review of Time Boom X De Devil Dead

John Dougan
All Music Guide

For those familiar with the work of British dubmeister and producer extraordinaire Adrian Sherwood, the thought of he and Scratch working together sets off fits of near-Pavlovian salivating. This collaboration is excellent, and Perry and Sherwood (both of whom traffic in an idiosyncratic sound and approach to production) sound perfectly suited as collaborators. What helps considerably is the effectiveness of Sherwood's band the Dub Syndicate, who rock a little harder than the Upsetters and create edgier, more brittle soundscapes for Perry to romp through and Sherwood to produce (although it should be noted that Perry had a hand in the production too). Perry's toasting and singing are not as manic as on Battle of Armagideon, but he delivers the goods on tracks like "S.D.I" and "Allergic to Lies." Out of print on vinyl, this is a Perry recording deserving of a CD reissue if it hasn't been already.