The Height of Callousness

The Height of Callousness

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Look beyond the headline-grabbing shock-rockers and public enemies that populate the thriving sphere of nu metal, and there's an often fascinating legion of young pretenders desperately eager to set the agenda. Spineshank, however, appear to have forgotten that it takes a little more than misanthropic attitude and clunky samplers to spar with an Antichrist Superstar. Sure, The Height of Callousness works the industrial hip-hop template for all it's worth (sometime Rage Against the Machine producer GGGarth works the controls), but with the likes of "New Disease" and "Cyanide 2600" offering precious little content between their clichés, this album begs to be pigeonholed. When this stuff works--see the electrified taboo pantomime of Static X's Wisconsin Death Trip, or the heavy black gothic mass of NIN's The Downward Spiral--it's because there's a splendidly contrary charismatic ringmaster running the whole bleak circus. Here? Well, let's just say that all this negativity isn't making any positives. --Louis Pattison

The Height of Callousness,Spineshank,Roadrunner Records,Alternative Metal,Heavy Metal,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop

Average customer rating:

4.5 star effort from Jonny and company

very intense

Nu Metal Masterpiece? Yes, I think so!

Fast & Furious Technoid Alterna-Metal

Perfect Fusion

The Height of Callousness
Spineshank
Manufacturer: Roadrunner Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Self-Destructive Pattern

Strictly Diesel

Violence

Revolution Revolución

Confession

ASIN: B00004WMXQ
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Asthmatic
The Height Of Callousness
Synthetic
New Disease
(Can't Be) Fixed
Cyanide 2600
Play God
Malnutrition
Seamless
Negative Space
Transparent

Amazon.com

Look beyond the headline-grabbing shock-rockers and public enemies that populate the thriving sphere of nu metal, and there's an often fascinating legion of young pretenders desperately eager to set the agenda. Spineshank, however, appear to have forgotten that it takes a little more than misanthropic attitude and clunky samplers to spar with an Antichrist Superstar. Sure, The Height of Callousness works the industrial hip-hop template for all it's worth (sometime Rage Against the Machine producer GGGarth works the controls), but with the likes of "New Disease" and "Cyanide 2600" offering precious little content between their clichés, this album begs to be pigeonholed. When this stuff works--see the electrified taboo pantomime of Static X's Wisconsin Death Trip, or the heavy black gothic mass of NIN's The Downward Spiral--it's because there's a splendidly contrary charismatic ringmaster running the whole bleak circus. Here? Well, let's just say that all this negativity isn't making any positives. --Louis Pattison

Customer Reviews:

4.5 star effort from Jonny and company.......2007-04-13

I love every song on this album. It would deserve 5 stars but I love their debut even more. This one rocks a little harder, at least as far as being faster and more frantic guitar riffs. Strictly Diesel was slower and more epic. This one is better to work out to or get pumped up before the game. For pure listening enjoyment, Strictly Diesel is the choice.

very intense.......2007-01-09

I went through that phase where I really liked Nu-Metal. Of all the Nu-Metal CDs I've listened to, this one really stands out. Unlike most other similar CDs, there is not, I repeat, there is not a single track that tones down a bit; every track is very intense. The guy screams in every track, and when he's not screaming, he uses his scratching singing voice, not melo smooth singing sound. The band also mixes in some electronics in the music. While this band is not as big and probably won't leave as big of a Nu-Metal legacy as like Korn or Disturbed, it is still played in my CD player very often.

Nu Metal Masterpiece? Yes, I think so!.......2006-04-21

This album is an aggressive masterpiece in my opinion. I was raised on this album along with Korn's "Issues" and Coal Chamber's "Chamber Music". Yes, I was quite the nu metal kid back in 6th grade. Yet even now six years later these albums still grace my collection alongside everything from Genesis to Enya to Dredg to In Flames. The Height of Callousness is a classic. Every song is aggressive. Every song is catchy. Every song is important. It's fast paced, heavy, and combines the best of the nu metal and techno worlds in one. While although that might not sound like the most original or pleasing template, believe me, no one does it like Spineshank, and it's great. This album is extreme, and very pissed off, but has it's melodic and more passionate moments. However, if you're looking for "real metal", go look somewhere else.I think the whole thing is absolutely perfect, and for someone looking for an aggressive album that stomps flat much of heavy music today, you should look no further then The Height of Callousness!

Fast & Furious Technoid Alterna-Metal .......2006-04-11

The Amazon.com review above was likely written by some geezer who shouldn't be listening to Spineshank anyway. If your idea of angry music is Black Sabbath or your idea of industrial/goth is NIN... well that's fine. But don't compare Spineshank. If anything, they'll get the nu-metal stamp. People seem to have to categorize everything. But nu-metal they are, I suppose, and someone has to be at the top of the heap, and that band would be Spineshank. If you're looking for deep insightful lyrics and mind-blowing musicianship that shatters the boundaries of everything you know, then you might need to dig a little deeper into prog-rock, experimental, etc...
But if you want pure unadulterated jacked up alterna-metal with a techno twist, then Spineshank is the way to go! This album in particular rocks from start to finish, but be sure to get the special edition which has more songs. The extras are worth the money. I hear they are no longer together & thats too bad. Good muzik to drive and drink to - but not at the same time.

Perfect Fusion.......2006-01-28

THis album is a perfect fusion of metal and techno and solidifys SPINESHANK as one of the greatest most brutal bands out there...It's a shame they've split since there music as a whole is just ebrassive and original. This album breaks the mold of your generic nu-metal sound alike bands and gives you a talented quartet that knows how to make quality music that transends bounderys and stands alone as it's own piece of art. Lets start at the beginning. With the opening track "ASTHMATIC" they start off with a bang...The techno break towards the end shows you where these guys are coming from...the line "I never wanted your help, I never needed your help" is just killer and when chanted at the end will get your blood pumping. Track 2, "THE HIGHT OF CALLOUSNESS" keeps things going in the same direction, killer mix of metal and techno with a brutal chorus. The bridge "F@#$ Integrety" is just awsome..."SYNTHETIC" was the first single off this CD and the reason I bought the CD...shows what this band can do, but also shows that their talent is not only skin deep for the feel to this track is much different then the predesesors. "NEW DISEASE" which is featured on the '1000 miles to Graceland' soundtrack is another in the same vein of Synthetic in that it's not as brutal as most of the other cuts on the album but is still impressive and worth a listion to. Track 5, "CAN'T BE FIXED" was one of my favorites right off bat because of the strong techno beats in the back and what sounds like phasers of lasers or whatever you want to call it going off in the background. "CYANIDE 2600" is the most brutal track here and is my favorite Spineshank song. The chorus is insane and the bridge and the beat is all crazy insane, brutal and just in your face and sounds like the world is coming to an end...It's just perfect. "PLAY GOD" is another perfect song with a killer pre-chorus and an even better end with the words "never take it" being repeated and distorted...it's just freaking awsome. "MALNUTRITION" has one of my favorite verse structures of the entire album. The way it's sung, screamed whatever is the best structure here, but it loses points with the pre-chorus which sounds like something else heard on the album, just not unique enough but they make up for that by breaking into a killer chorus. "SEAMLESS" continues the brutality with a great song with great lyrics and a deffinate unique riffs and a pretty decent chorus, nothing super special but good none-the-less. "NEGATIVE SPACE" is one of the best songs here, and one of the best songs period. It's slower than the rest of the songs here but has an air of power behind it that resonates with me. The chorus "she wasted days inside me" is just hauntingly beautiful is quickly became one of my favorite lines in music history. "TRANSPARENT" was the last track on the original cut of the album and I have to say that for a final track it's dissapointing because it's not memorable...as a track alone it's decent and not to bad, but for the last track of the album it should have been better. Thats why the way to go is with the re-released version with four extra QUALITY tracks. Track 12, the first of the bonus tracks is "PERFECT ENDING" which follows in the feel of Negative Space and stands as one hell of a kick @$$ song with lyrics that stand more powerful than the beat which is fine because the beat, softer and not so in your face only helps the lyrics to stand out greater. "FULL CIRCLE" comes next and steps into the techno moreso than Perfect Ending. I like this track, not as much as others but the chorus is great and the ending sounds like another band that I can't put my finger on, but it shows the versitality and I like that. Next comes "HEIGHT OF CALLOUSNESS (FIST F@#$ INTEGRITY MIX)" and let me say that this kicks so much @$$ it's not even funny. Actually both this and the "ASTHMATIC (PUNCTURED LUNG REMIX)" are so awsome that I wish they would have remixed all of their songs. This is the perfect example of how remixes should be done. On the Asthmatic remix, the whole "I never wanted you help" part is even better if that is possible, and the "F@#$ Integrity" part in Height of Callousness is freaking killer...they just make you want to stand up and throw your fists in the air and scream along. I wish this band never split because with quality releases like this one I would have been a follower for years to come!

Average customer rating:

Very good but you made a mistake
TOP CLASS NU METAL

Height of Callousness
Spineshank
Manufacturer: Jvc Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005HO6N
Release Date: 2000-10-21

Tracks:

Asthmatic
Height of Callousness
Synthetic
New Disease
(Can't Be) Fixed
Cyanide 2600
Play God
Malnutrition
Seamless
Negative Space
Transparent

Album Details

Japanese version featuring a bonus track: 'Perfect Ending'.

Customer Reviews:

Very good but you made a mistake.......2003-04-18

Very good band. But you made a mistake that is NOT import.

TOP CLASS NU METAL.......2001-04-24

Nu metal is overall a pretty weak genre, however their are some exceptions, and Spineshank, mainly because of their punishing sophomore release "The Height of Callousness" are one of those exceptions. This imported version features one bonus track from the "Synthetic" single titled Full Circle. This song moves the album's length from 37 minutes in length to 40 minutes and therefore it is still a fairly short album. Nevertheless it has plenty of good material. Spineshank combine grumbling bass, with blistering techno charged drum beats, simple but effective guitar driven metal, and some impressive keyboard sequences to take a giant leap foward from the band's reasonable but much criticised debut "Strictly Diesel". The music is heavy and melodic, the songwriting very strong and the vocals display more grunt and aggression then the previous LP. The band has also developed their own signature sound and they found a quality producer in GGGarth (RATM, Kittie, MUDVAYNE). Overall the best tracks are 1,2,3,4,7,8,9,11 and the extra track Full Circle which displays a good mixture of heaviness and melody.

Apparently a digi pack version with four bonus tracks and the videos to "New Disease" and "Synthetic" will be released, so if you haven't bought the album it might be worth waiting a bit longer.

The Height of Callousness
Average customer rating:

Unique Industrial-Metal CD

Height of Callousness, QUALITY album

AND I THOUGHT THE FIRST ONE WAS AWSOME

The Height of Callousness
Spineshank
Manufacturer: Roadrunner Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Alternative Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

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ASIN: B00005M98I
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Asthmatic
The Height Of Callousness
Synthetic
New Disease
(Can't Be) Fixed
Cyanide 2600
Play God
Malnutrition
Seamless
Negative Space
Transparent
Perfect Ending
Full Circle
The Height Of Callousness (Force Fed Integrity Mix)
Asthmatic (Punctured Lung Mix)

Customer Reviews:

Unique Industrial-Metal CD.......2004-08-24

Unfortunately at the time of this review (Aug 2004), Spineshank has ditched their former lead singer and are searching for a new one. However, Spineshank is still one of the most underrated modern metal bands today, and this CD is purely amazing. Here you will not only find the same tracks found on the original "The Height of Callousness" CD, but a few awesome bonus tracks as well. Not only do I advocate purchasing Spineshank's CDs, but I recommend you shell out the few extra bucks it takes to grab this bonus version. "Perfect Ending" and "Full Circle" are two scrapped tracks Spineshank originally thought didn't fit on the CD, but they rock just as hard as the other songs. I believe these two tracks are perfect examples of how well the guys blend industrial and metal, and how well Jonny Santos was at incorporating powerful screams and catchy melodies into the unique mix. Both the "Asthmatic" and "...Callousness" remixes are just as rocking as the original tracks. If you aren't a fan of rock remixes, hold your judgements and you'll find these two do justice to the Undustrial-Metal sound perfected by Spineshank

Height of Callousness, QUALITY album.......2001-12-12

This has got to be one of the best albums ive heard this year if u havent heard it yet i suggest you get a copy quick.If u like aggresive guitaring and vocals mixed with new electronic sounds then this is for you, listening to this album made me go and see them live and iam glad i did they rocked!! buy it now you will love it.

AND I THOUGHT THE FIRST ONE WAS AWSOME.......2001-10-01

HEY THIS IS THE BEST CD EVER CREATED IN THE HISTORY OF MUSIC. I CANT REALLY PUT HOW GOOD THIS CD IS INTO WORDS. SEE FOR YOURSELF...