Imperative Reaction – Mirror (Album – Metropolis Records)
Genre/Influences: Industrial-Pop, EBM.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Imperative Reaction strikes back with the band’s first album in ten years! “Mirror” is the seventh full length by the American band, which once started their career releasing their debut album on the legendary Zoth Ommog. That was in a previous Century, Ted Phelps is now unleashing eleven fresh songs.
Content: When a band is releasing its first new album in a decade, they in a way have to put their name back on the map. “Mirror” is for sure a work that will appeal for numerous lovers of Electro-Underground music. The work has something rough, Industrial-like and yet polished with Pop arrangements. That’s at least how “Mirror” takes off, but the work is progressively evolving towards harder pieces carried with solid EBM bass lines. The vocals are rather clear right in the beginning of the album, but here again there’s an evolution towards a more enraged way of singing.
+ + + : I read Ted Phelps considers “Mirror” as his magnum opus and the least I can say is that it indeed is the best work I’ve heard from this artist. “Mirror” reflects a diversified Electronic canvas, which you can’t label as one particular genre. The work sounds as a true apotheosis between different, but related influences. The main characteristic and strength of the album is the raw sound production creating this Industrial exponent. Some sound treatments also have a pretty vintage-like touch, which mainly comes through in the brilliant “Like Swine”. Another outstanding cut is “The Scales”, which are pure rage carried by a tough EBM bass line. But there’s also something to say about the ‘softer’ opening cuts, which have a raw-pop touch on top.
– – – : I don’t see real minus points about this work; except I regret a few tracks aren’t just a little bit longer (but that sounds rather positive)!
Conclusion: Imperative Reaction strikes back with a bam! This is for sure an album we’ll remember at the end of the year when making the list ‘best of Electronic productions of the year’!
Best songs: “The Scales”, “Like Swine”, “Ignite”, “Glass”, “Stranger”, “Split”.
Rate: (8½).
Artist: www.imperativereaction.net / www.facebook.com/imperativereaction
Label: www.metropolis-records.com / www.facebook.com/MetropolisRecords Read the news on ‘Mirror’.
About Imperative Reaction
Imperative Reaction is the Los Angeles-based project of Ted Phelps, formed in the mid-1990s. The act debuted with “Eulogy For The Sick Child” in 1999 on Zoth Ommog, followed by “Ruined” (2002), “Redemption” (2004), “As We Fall” (2006), “Minus All” (2008), a self-titled album (2011), “Surface” (2011) and the “Siphon” EP (2013). “Mirror”, released via Metropolis Records in January 2021, marked the band’s first full-length in ten years. Phelps discussed the album in a Side-Line interview that March.
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