In the early to mid-'90s,
Bootsy Collins,
Buckethead, and Brian "Brain" Mantia certainly did some trailblazing in the high-tech funk-metal field, as members of the on again/off again outfit,
Praxis. By 2008, the trio was at it again, but with a few new faces added to the proceedings (including singer/guitarist
Greg Hampton and DJ Botieus), and a new name,
Science Faxtion. The group's debut full-length, Living on Another Frequency, is a much more focused offering (especially when it comes to songwriting) than anything
Praxis put out -- probably due to
Hampton's input. Up to this point,
Hampton was best known as a producer (having worked on quite a few classic rock-based recordings, including
Alice Cooper's Along Came a Spider and
Tommy Bolin's
Whips and Roses), but on Living on Another Frequency, you'll discover that
Hampton has a pretty darn swell singing voice as well, and impressively has no problem weaving guitar lines with the whackoid
Buckethead (not many guitarists can make that claim, for sure!). As evidenced by "Lookin' for Eden," "Chaos in Motion," and "Fatally Flawed Flesh,"
Science Faxtion can rock ferociously. But just when you think you have the group figured out -- as a band that leans more towards the rock side of things -- you come across a song like "Gone Tomorrow," which brings to mind
Parliament's more sweetly sedate moments, and "What It Is," on which
Public Enemy's
Chuck D drops by for a guest spot, adding a hip-hop element to the proceedings, to boot. There are few bands getting the metal-funk hybrid right circa the early 21st century. As evidenced by Living on Another Frequency,
Science Faxtion is certainly one of the few bands that do. ~ Greg Prato