Artist: Front Line Assembly

Album: “Fallout”

Release Date: April 24, 2007

Label: Metropolis Records

Availability: CD, iTunes and Ruckus

As a remix album, “Fallout” takes an interesting direction. Although its tracks have been remixed by a variety of artists, including Combichrist and the band members themselves, this record almost sounds too unified to be a remix disc – it’s more like a proper studio recording.

The remixed tracks faithfully retain the hallmarks of Front Line Assembly’s industrial sound – the aggressive visceral violence, Bill Leeb’s vocals and repetitive machine noises – and twists them into the structure of a dance song. These tracks provide a different approach to the same themes, making them more accessible.

The best of the remixes is “Unleashed (Mindless Mix),” as it does best what made FLA great in the first place – subdued hatred of humanity expressed through jarring rhythms. A different mix, “Domination (Unleashed),” by band member Rhys Fulber, takes a more mainstream, upbeat approach and is pretty forgettable.

Three new songs also appear on this album, and they do not disappoint. “Electric Dreams” is the record’s standout track, making use of all the tricks FLA has employed over the years.

The vocal distortion constantly shifts, and the soundscape pushes the two-channel setup to its limits. “Armageddon” is a very heavy industrial metal track about the annihilation of humanity sung entirely in heavily distorted German. It is also the only track to use guitars, notable considering their prominence in FLA’s recent efforts. “Unconscious” is a long, droning instrumental that drifts into the end of the album.

The only lackluster song is “The Storm (Covenant)” – there’s nothing really wrong with it, but it just doesn’t have the focus or the intensity of the other tracks.

This record is an excellent introduction into industrial music, as it’s rather like more mainstream techno. Industrial fans, never fear – this is Front Line Assembly in good form.

Check out Front Line Assembly on MySpace.