I try to limit my anticipation of album releases as they can often end in serious disappointment. However, ever since I got a taste of Cinemechanica on the 2004 split EP with We Versus the Shark and Maserati I have been eagerly awaiting their debut full-length and now, finally, in 2006 The Martial Arts is being released and I am not disappointed.

What initially struck me about Cinemechanica on the EP – particularly on the track "I’m Tired of Paul McCartney" which is also present on The Martial Arts – was the incredible intensity captured within the track. Amazingly, the quartet manages to maintain this remarkable energy throughout the album’s entirety.

Beyond the intensity, Cinemechanica exhibit extraordinary finesse with their playing. Whether it be Mike Albanese’s constant and controlled rolls/fills on "Get Outta Here Hitler" and "Orlandu", the fast, angular riffs of Bryant Williamson and Andy Pruett’s dueling guitars, or Joel Hatstat’s ability to hold things together with his bass during what at times may seem like controlled chaos, even those that may find Cinemechanica a bit too intense and/or loud have to respect their chops.

Confidence in their abilities is what really allows Cinemechanica to set themselves apart from most other groups. While most bands are forced to remain content with conventional harmonies and structures, Cinemechanica have filled The Martial Arts with quick changes and aggressive, defiant dissonance ("Brain Trap" and "Pen") that very few could pull off let alone master to this degree.

It’s rare that an album will make me warn people that "this next part is going to make your head explode" or exclaim "What the fuck?!" in amazement while listening, but The Martial Arts has actually compelled me to do both of these within the same night. If I had to choose one word to describe Cinemechanica, it would be "ferocious".