The Operating Tracks – Once And For All (Album – Progress Productions)
Genre/Influences: EBM.
Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl.
Background/Info: Set up in 2014 and later abandoned to bring back to life, The Operating Tracks is a project driven by Carl Nilsson (Lucifer´s Aid). After a few EP’s he’s now ready with the debut album “Once And For All”.
Content: If you’re already familiar with the band, you’ll (re)discover a few single title-songs. The sound universe of the project is clearly driven by good-old EBM (the band name clearly sounds as an indication). A few guest singers like Emma Anitchka have been invited. There’s a perfect twist between male- and female vocals. The album is diversified, moving from harder, enraged, cuts towards softer pieces.
+ + + : Among the tracklist I noticed real great stuff. The Operating Tracks is clearly driven by good-old EBM standards, but clearly tries to bring something personal to the writing. You can hear it in songs like “Testify” and “Man” both expressing certain rage while featuring cold sequences. I also have to mention “Human Blood” which is a great last cut for its repetitive and danceable sequences.
– – – : The album only features 8 songs and that’s a pity. There also is a switch between cool, promising cuts at one side and a few tracks lacking in elaboration.
Conclusion: I personally prefer the darker sound universe of Lucifer’s Aid, but I have to admit The Operating Tracks hides a real potential in a more ‘classical’ EBM genre.
Best songs: “Testify”, “Man”, “Human Blood”, “A Dysfunctional Personality”.
Rate: 7½.
Artist: www.facebook.com/theoperatingtracks
Label: www.progress-productions.com / www.facebook.com/progresspro
About The Operating Tracks
The Operating Tracks is a Swedish EBM band led by Carl Nilsson, released on Progress Productions. Nilsson also drives the more minimal, stripped-down solo project Lucifer’s Aid, launched in spring 2016 with the debut album “New To Reality” after songs he was writing no longer fit The Operating Tracks.
“Once And For All”, reviewed here, is The Operating Tracks’ debut album, following a run of earlier EPs.
Support Side-Line
More people read Side-Line than ever, and there is still no paywall and no advertising. Readers pay for it instead - from $5 a month.
Why we ask
Advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations we have not put up a paywall, and we refuse to add annoying advertising, so we need to ask for your help. Side-Line’s independent journalism takes time, money and hard work to produce, and we do it to push the artists we like, who are equally fighting to survive.
Handled by PayPal.
I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
