Album Review: Audio by Blue Man Group

The dynamic percussion artists of the Blue Man Group have translated their widely-acclaimed stage show into a purely musical experience. Audio may rely on a high-quality recording to recreate the dynamic of a live performance, but it often fails to match the intensity of group's multimedia theatrics. The album opens with the power of ringing guitars and tight percussion assaults which combine to form an exciting, tension-filled narrative. Hollow echoes and vivid peaks evoke images of creation and destruction, and tracks like "Rods and Cones" and "Drumbone" will appeal to the electronic sensibilities of any Lansdowne Street patron.

However, the album stagnates near the middle, as the music evidently takes a back seat to the visually-oriented stage show. Too often, the repetitive themes are played out ad nauseam, many times ending in anticlimactic crescendos. The most successful piece is the epic "Klein Mandelbrot," which conveys a kinetic sense of flux. Moments like this are effective due to their innovation in combining percussion and electronic music with more conventional instruments. But while the album presents an unusual sonic experience, it is unlikely to impress listeners searching for the excitement of a live Blue Man Group performance. B-