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Archived Reviews
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This seventh entry in the Septic series retains the sky-high values that has been the hallmark of this excellent series &, given that this is the series' final fling it somehow seems only right that the legendary Skinny Puppy should open proceedings, even if their 'Politikill' is remixed into a robustly danceable style with some fine vocal effects to boot while, in something of a double coup, KMFDM cover DAF's classic 'Der Mussolini', keeping the unmistakeable vocal stylings intact while the guitar riffs make this even better than the original, for my money! (am I being sacreligious saying that?) Hereafter, we're treated to the usual mix of new & established names & a good number of exclusives with Dependent's own Controlled Collapse providing a reminder of why their debut album is a must-have while Mind. In. A. Box's peach of a track provides one of the highlights & helps lift the gloom of their relatively disappointing last album. The infectious melodics here show the band on top form while Standeg provide another stunner in 'Replikant'; a mid-paced stormer with fine understated melodics, strong rhythms & fine guitar work it marks them out as one to watch & I can't wait to hear more from them. Elsewhere, Tankt give Edge Of Dawn's 'The Nightmare I Am' even more dancefloor potential while Die Form totally change the mood of Seabound's 'Domination' (a logical track for them to remix, given their well-known love of fetish imagery!), giving the track a more melodic feel that gives this seemingly superfluous remix some purpose. It also seems that the Swedish Progress label have got their feet under the table, too, which allows Cryo & Necro Facility to get in on the act & if you like either of their tracks you'll love their respective albums. Non Plus Ultra's 'Alice-D' starts as if your CD player is knackered & while this is a dancefloor cert the vocalist has the sort of distinctive voice that could make them future pop heroes in waiting, were this to be their aim (& there's a good chance that the original will fulfill this promise, I'd say!) while Acretongue provide a decent slower, melodic piece. The one disappointment is Caustic's track which starts promisingly, as if Matt Fanale was set to give Combichrist a run for their money but then settles into an overly repetitive & somewhat wishy-washy mood which is a shame as I had high hopes for this one. Far better are the contributions from Slok & The Knife, both of which will appeal to electroclash lovers with the latter in particular resurrecting the spirit of vintage Fad Gadget & the like, albeit with a more modern sheen while the hotly-tipped IAMX benefit from the 'Moonbottica Remix' that 'Kiss And Swallow' undergoes, allowing them to fit in with the album & proving that Dependent are always open to exciting new music of all kinds. In a way, this makes their imminent demise even more poignant but as swansongs go, this is a damned fine note to end on. |
