POWERMAN 5000 – SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE (Album Review)

PM5K first hit my personal radar with their 1997 release MEGA!! KUNG-FU RADIO, which I still have in my personal archive but rarely revisit. Hitting their stride with 1999’s sci-fi infused TONIGHT THE STARS REVOLT!, the band seemed poised to become a staple in the rock mainstream, largely due to the infectious single “When Worlds Collide”, which still can be heard in regular radio rotation a decade later.
While their rise to mainstream acceptance was cut short for a variety of reasons, the band is back with an album that could largely be considered a sequel to their most successful work. Returning to the realm of sci-fi and horror, SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE is a tasty 33 minute sonic journey that will leave hardcore fans craving for more.  Once past the “intro” piece “Intelligent Creatures”, Spider One and crew kick into high-gear with “Show Me What You’ve Got”, reminding listeners why they liked PM5K in the first place. Charging into the first single “Super Villain” and through “V is for Vampire”, the trip is more than half over. With 11 tracks (only nine of which are actual songs), the album’s main fault is that it’s just too damn short. SOMEWHERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF NOWHERE can be compared to an amusement park ride: it’s practically over before it begins, but in the end you’ll scream “Again! Again!”