Ragged, shady and raw, the electronic trio A.R.E. Weapons are one of the stranger bands to come around in quite awhile. At times during their full-length, self-titled debut it’s difficult to tell if they are taking themselves seriously or if it’s all one long joke. It isn’t clear because while the Weapons can at times be as dark as the barrel of a gun, at others they seem to be motivational speakers with kabuki makeup. Either way, A.R.E. Weapons violently captures the underbelly of NYC, shedding light on addiction, abuse, and apathy without leaving the dance floor.

Chaos seems to be the main order of business for the Weapons, which itself goes against the perfectly sequenced drum machine they constantly employ. The result is an uneven tension, perhaps to the band’s demented satisfaction. When the Weapons bizarre tactics are put to use on cuts like “Strange Dust” (a heavy-lidded ode to a “glassy-eyed kid playing Space Invaders”), it’s fogged-out bliss. Unfortunately, when the band steps in the other direction, as it does on the goofy “Hey World,” the beats fall flat. More times than not, however, the Weapons keep afloat by hitting hard, then turning around and hitting harder.

Comprised of Matthew McAuley, Brain F McPeck and manager/musician Paul Sevigny, A.R.E. Weapons have spent most of their time as an entity in NYC throwing parties, slowing building a reputation through decadence, hangers-on and an ever-watching police presence. Their live shows are also rumored to be exercises in madness, combining buzzing guitars, aggro-beats and frenetic chanting with flailing limbs and excessive volume. Part Ministry and part Happy Mondays, A.R.E. Weapons clash with everything else currently happening in the world of electronica, just the way they like it.

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