Front Line Assembly - Civilization -- Metropolis Records

First, a bit of a disclaimer:
Who am I to criticize the new Front Line Assembly? I've never been a big FLA fan.... I don't dislike them, I've just never been crazy fanatical about them. So, I'm not incredibly knowledgeable about their history and the direction of their music…. But, come on? There are some tracks on Civilization that have me questioning what I put in my CD player and double-checking to make sure it's still FLA, not Delerium, or hell, Enya. The person sitting across from me on the subway this morning gave me the weirdest look, in response to the repulsed look I probably had on my face during one song. Now, there are some good tracks. The whole thing isn't an entire write-off. I'm favouring "Maniacal", which can be can be heard on the single released last year, and "Psychosomatic" has grown on me. The album is described as an "industrial rebellion to the future-pop ruled world of electronic music", but I just don't agree. "Industrial rebellion"? I fail to see how this is a rebellion to future-pop, and an Industrial one at that. [Call me an elitist snob, I don't care.] I don't feel this is the direction Industrial should be moving in, or that this is the direction Industrial is moving in, if you compare it with other artists I consider to be producing much more of an "industrial rebellion".

In my opinion, pick up the single if you want "Maniacal", the good track, and do yourself a favour. But, even then, the single is a bit of a disappointment too, as it's only three tracks, and one remix is stupidly similar to the original track. Heck, I didn't even run out and buy the single, so maybe that recommendation isn't even correct.

-- February 2004

 

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