Diamonds & Daggerz is a remix album from
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, released in conjunction with Ryko's
TKK best-of and reissues of their early work. Rather than revisiting actual songs, Buzz McCoy, Groovie Mann, and their cast of characters chose to mesh
Thrill Kill snippets, movie dialogue drop-ins, and their own vocal samples with crackling electro-disco beats. The result is a seamless flow that's similar in mood to
Thrill Kill Kult but less satisfying, since its concentration on beats lessens the camp factor. It was camp, after all, that always saved
TKK when their songwriting faltered, and
Diamonds & Daggerz -- on a purely musical level -- is only comparable to an average lounge compilation. Still, it's the familiar subject matter that's the draw here, made clear by
Diamonds' grindhouse-inspired artwork. "Take me higher," says the girl in "Devil Rider"; "Sex Whip" offers sultry beats straight out of a '60s exploitation film. Other highlights include the aggressive house beats of "Young Tongue," as well as the eight-minute-plus finale, "Dope Kult."
Diamonds & Daggerz won't offer much for the
Thrill Kill Kult uninitiated. But for completists or their followers, it's an effective late-night soundtrack. ~ Johnny Loftus