FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY

Front Line Assembly: Bill Leeb, Rhys Fulber.
Recorded at Creation Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Vancouver's Front Line Assembly is a rare breed--it plays industrial techno the way that it was first developed. Modeled on the styles of Cabaret Voltaire and Skinny Puppy (one of FLA's members even used to play with Skinny Puppy), the band's version of techno has a curious, organic wetness--Front Line Assembly's beats are almost completely void of the hard, crystalline edge that most techno outfits favor. This gives the band's work a unique flavor that not only suggests a more human sound, but also suggests a little less of the pessimism that permeates "industrial" culture.
The tracks, especially "Remorse" and "Lifeline," have a kind of sepulchral spaciousness that somehow allows them the room to clatter around in the listener's head. "Mindphaser" sounds a little like Front 242's "Circling Overland" but without the European accents and at nearly twice the speed. "Bio-Mechanic" builds on a sneaky, insinuating, and ever-so-slightly off-kilter doubled beat, while "Outcast" and "Gun" instead opt for a more straight-ahead percussive punch that is equally effective. TACTICAL NEURAL IMPLANT is an excellent record for people who have been mourning the loss of the masters of old-school industrial techno, especially Skinny Puppy.

Estimated despatch 5-10 days after ordering.