Frontline Assembly – AirMech (CD – Metropolis Records)

FLA has released an impressive number of albums throughout the years. Some albums like “Caustic Grip” and “Hard Wired” simply belong to the collective memory of the electro/EBM scene. The past few years saw FLA composing great albums, but none of them ever reached the level of the aforementioned opuses. I was really wondering what this new and very special “AirMesh” would bring. I said special because the music was ordered by Carbon Games to create the music for the “AirMech” game. That for sure appears to be a new and interesting challenge.

“AirMech” is an instrumental release featuring 12 unique songs. The fans will for sure recognize the typical FLA-touch, but no doubt about it this is one of the most surprising and innovative releases of the band to date. I also like the dynamism of the songs this way remaining pure FLA. But the most surprising and noticeable element consists of the sound treatments. Frontline Assembly clearly spent a lot of time and labor to create impressive, rough sounds. The genius sound treatments and arrangements create a kind of duality with the more wafting feeling in the songs. The duality rapidly appears to be a magic and genius match creating a refreshing style that brings FLA into a different light. “Pulse Charge” and “Prep For Combat” both are outstanding songs. The complexity à la FLA is easily recognizable, but I’m impressed by the great sonic manipulations which move on the edge of absolute perfection. It sounds a bit schizophrenic, but from a pure musical point of view still stands for the most accomplished and genius tracks the band of Bill Leeb ever has realized.

I also have to mention songs like “AirMech” and “Arise” in the debut part of the CD and “Everything That Was Before”, “Burning Skyline”, “Stealth Mech” and “Death Level” in the midst and end part. Somewhere in between flat bass lines, harsh distorted effects, powerful and brutal rhythms plus evasive synth parts this album is a constant source of creativity.

This is not the kind of album that will easily find the entrance of clubs and dancefloors although it’s one of the work FLA might be really proud of. While the “AirMech” game has for sure been realized to seduce a younger audience the music has been composed by some real veterans of the electro scene. FLA proves that they’re still ‘young’ in mind masters in electronic music.

(DP:9)DP.

Band: www.mindphaser.com / www.myspace.com/thefrontlineassembly / www.facebook.com/frontlineassembly

Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.myspace.com/metropolisrecords / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords

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