"In Fixation, Conspire" review...
Terrorizer Magazine. Feb 2005
http://www.terrorizer.com/
Three years of gruelling and acclaimed live work since 'Has Anything You've Ever Done...' debut disk was voted 'Demo of the Month' in these pages, Belfast's Stand-Up Guy have blossomed into a fearsome musical force. Churning then spinning out monster riff ride after monster riff ride, "In Fixation, Conspire" feels so sure of itself that you'd almost think these four free-thinking, soundscape metalcore musclemen had hijacked Cult of Luna's recently-repo'ed riff machine in order to make it. Stand-Up Guy infuse a confidence and a presence into this ambitious 50 minutes offering which is truly robust. The band may not be 'on' during every minute - 'The Constant Gossip of the Workplace' overstretches itself somewhat, while the emo-isms of 'Burning Paper in Bleeding Hand' occasionally overstay their welcome - but with this much Neurosis-indebted, 'The Beyond''-esque magic in the air great things can only be just over the horizon. Fingers crossed and calendars out, people.
8/10. Paul Shwarz