| Artist |
| Combichrist |
| Title |
| Making Monsters |
| Format/Cat |
| CD OUT 420 |
| Label |
| Out Of Line |
| Style |
| EBM |
| Date of review |
| 23rd November 2010 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8.5/10 |
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Andy LaPlegua's seemingly never-ending sojourn with Rammstein might well have boosted his profile considerably, judging by the audience at his recent London gig but, contrary to some musings, it hasn't significantly changed his musical style, at least not on this album, anyway! Some might wish it had but the fact remains that Andy plays very much to his strengths here & proves the preceding single 'Never Surrender' was a good indication that all was well in the world of ver 'christ. And just to make sure that any possible lingering doubts are totally swept away anyone who loves What The Fuck Is Wrong With You? will find plenty to enjoy in 'Follow The Trail Of Blood' which, after the intro that is 'Declamation', kicks off proceedings in earnest in ver 'christ's typical style! That there aren't any massive surprises here soon ceases to matter as Andy does what he does best, that is delivering a barrage of high-explosive electrobombs directly to your brain with the slower numbers such as 'Throat Full Of Glass' which powers along with the unstoppable force of an out-of-control steamroller (!) & the decidedly mournful 'Through These Eyes Of Pain' being contrasted by the club classics-to-be that are 'Slave To Machine', 'Just Like Me' & 'Monster Murder Kill', the latter of which proves that no matter how many times you use vocodered voices it always sounds cool while Andy's angst-filled spoken vocals give 'Slave To Machine' a more intimate feel as Andy opens his soul, at least until the anger-filled chorus which, in its way, could be just as personal. Elsewhere 'Fuck Machine' comes close to a 'Combichrist goes synthpop' style (not quite but almost, the vocals are pretty 'tasty' although there's no doubt an enterprising remixer somewhere that can make the most of this!) & it's always good to hear an artist taking instrumentals seriously as Andy does on the epic 'Forgotten' which works its magic through a combination of rhythmic cascades & soaring melodics. So, after spending so long on the road Andy has indeed made a monster for us all to enjoy, the only mystery is, how does he find the time to do it all?
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