| Artist |
| FGFC820 |
| Title |
| Law & Ordnance |
| Format/Cat |
| CD NTK030 |
| Label |
| Noitekk |
| Style |
| Macho EBM |
| Date of review |
| 1st November 2009 |
| Reviewer |
| Carl Jenkinson |
| Rating |
| 8/10 |
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War has long been a fruitful source of inspiration for EBM acts, as we all know & the ongoing situation in the Middle East has provided Rexx Arkana & Dracos with further food for thought on this, their second release as FGFC820. They've also taken on the whole 'camouflage' look as well as reusing the title 'Killing Fields' that Funker Vogt have already used (in fact, the sleeve picture sees Arkana bearing a striking resemblance to Gerrit Thomas!!) but with 14 tracks on offer, including 3 more 'Resolution' pieces that provide some short interludes, continuing over from their debut Urban Audio Warfare, their music covers a greater number of EBM bases while maintaining a definite cohesive feel. The stompy rhythms that form the backbone of the album are reminiscent of X Marks The Pedwalk so there's a certain old skool feeling here that compliments the macho elements of the album, most notably during the pacey 'Vengeance' with its Stuka samples & all as well as the opening 'Hello, Baghdad' which starts with some appropriate Arabic music samples (or if they're not they're totally authentic-sounding!) but soon shows its true colours. However, it's when there's some sort of contrast to such elements that the album it as its best, such as the funkier edge of 'Ich Bin Ein Auslander' (yes, the PWEI one!) or the excellent sequencing that adds an infectious melodic edge to 'Momenum', the additional drama of 'Emotion' or the more melancholic mood that suggests a more intimate line of inspiration while also resembling a more rugged VNV Nation (well, they're earlier stuff, anyway!). As the album progresses a slight touch of sameyness creeps in with although, when taken in isolation 'Not The World I Remember' proves another solidly enjoyable number while the samples that grace 'The Heart Of America' make some good points about government surveillance & so on as the typically muscular sections alternate with more melodic parts tailor-made for those 'hands in the air moments! Overall, then, this is another fine album from Rexx & Dracos & with a running time of over 66 minutes it certainly feels suitably epic & a good deal more involved than many releases. But if even that's not enough for you, the limited edition box features an extra disc of remixes from various EBM/electro artists so you can't say you're not getting plenty of bang for your buck!
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