Front 242 – 91 / Live In EU (Album – Alfa Matrix)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Format: Digital, 2 Vinyls.
Background/Info: Front 242 this year celebrates their 40th anniversary and it all seems that they finally will go on stage again to celebrate it with their fans. The ongoing pandemic has forced the Belgian EBM veterans to wait patiently for better times. So together with their label they started to release some live recordings. We already got two albums –“Hamburg 87 / Official Version” and “ Ancienne Belgique 89 / Front By Front”. Here now comes the year 1991 and the legendary “Tyranny For <You>”-tour, which took place after their fifth full length album. “91 (Live in EU)” features fourteen songs. The album is available in a double vinyl format strictly limited to 1242 copies.
Content: The featured tracks were recorded in different European locations. Tracks like “Soulmanager”, “Rhythm Of Time”, “The Untold”, “Gripped By Fear”, “Neurobashing”, “Moldavia”, “Gripped By Fear” were played for the very first time on stage, but especially “Tragedy For You” became one of the band’s biggest hits in history.
The tracklist has been completed by unavoidable songs like “Masterhit”, “Until Death (Us Do Part)”, “Im Rhythmus Blieben”, “No Shuffle”, “Headhunter”, “Welcome To Paradise” ao.
Great EBM from a legendary period by a band, which was at the top.
+ + + : If you look at the tracklist of this album and you realize some other legendary earlier songs that weren’t played during this tour, you can only, but admit Front 242 was ruling over the Electro-underground scene. The debut tracks feel like a warm up, but “D.S.M. / Moldavia” is the start of heavy, danceable cuts carried by solid bass lines, elevating choruses and a perfect fusion between both singers. “Tragedy For You” not only was the name of this tour, but is still one of the best cuts from this recording. Notice by the way all tracks have been remastered. This vinyl is a great collector’s item for all fans… and for sure there’ll be not enough copies to please all fans!
– – – : I’ll probably be damned by the 242 die-hard fans, but this live album unfortunately is not the best I’ve heard from the band. The songs don’t completely reflect the power and dynamic of the live performance. “Headhuner” is a right illustration of it.
Conclusion: One more live recording from Front 242, but 2021 is 242-year and the fans will be happy with this great collector’s item.
Best songs: “Tragedy For You”, “Im Rhythmus Bleiben”, “No Shuffle”, “Welcome To Paradise”.
Rate: (8).
Artist: www.facebook.com/Front.242
Label: www.alfa-matrix.com / www.facebook.com/Alfa.Matrix
About Front 242
Front 242 is a Belgian EBM group formed in 1981 by Daniel Bressanutti (Daniel B.) and Jean-Luc De Meyer, later joined by Patrick Codenys and Richard 23. “91 (Live in EU)” documents the 1991 “Tyranny For <You>” tour, following Alfa Matrix live archival releases “Hamburg 87 / Official Version” and “Ancienne Belgique 89 / Front By Front”. Alfa Matrix released it alongside a companion “91 (Live in USA)” set and core member Daniel B.’s “66.6”, the second in his series of Front 242 reworks marking his 66th anniversary.
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