They Came From Beyond

They Came From Beyond cite Man Or Astro-Man? Servortron and Devo as influences, and in places, it shows. Their all-instrumental, space-sample laden, jerky surf is obviously inspired by all these bands, but particularly Man Or Astro-Man? This EP starts off with the strongest of the six tracks, "Transmission From Space," which features some spooky organ work. The other songs are generally more "surf" than "space" oriented, with the aqueous "Laika-First Bitch In Space" being a prime example. Some of the playing is a little on the shaky side, like on the unsure double-time guitar picking of "The White Haired Avenger." There is a cheap-sounding synth instrumental added as a surprise bonus track, which is maybe the most "out there" stuff on this disc. Not a bad record, but it would be interesting to hear what these guys sound like in a year or so, after a lot more gigging and hopefully developing a stronger sense of their own identity.