Artist XP8 Title The Art Of Revenge Format/Cat CD FACT3087 Label Infacted Recordings Style EBM Date of review July 2008 Reviewer Carl Jenkinson Rating 8.5/10

If there's one band about whom you can definately say 'they've come a long way', it's the Italian duo of Marco & Marko, alias XP8 (formerly the Anglo-Italian trio until Paul Toohill upped sticks). Having overcome the handicap of having their debut album Forgiven released without even being mastered (I think there's a review of it in the archives) they've since come on in leaps & bounds via 2005's 'Hrs MinsSecs' which mixed poppy elements with harder styles & onto this full-on danceable stomp which sees them beefing up their sound a lot, making this their finest release to date by some considerable margin. The opening double header of 'Juggernaut' & Our Time' get the album off to a dynamic start, both being surefire dancefloor fillers & while the latter does have a greater 'song-based' feel (with melodic vocals that should appeal to those who don't like too much of a harsh sound) the album wouldn't have the versaility it has if the danceability was all it had to offer. Instead these elements are mixed to perfection with some seriously infectious songs that make for a far more involved listen in the case of 'Downaload Me' for one, which benefits from an attention-grabbing mix of insistent yet imaginative backing effects & fine melodics (that Marko's vocals have never sounded better is another bonus!) while a mix of funky rhythms & harsh vocals along with some effective guitar strumming make 'I.C.E.' another standout track. And talking of standout tracks, 'Your Nature' is certain to prove a big favourite with its battery of muscular & powerful rhythms setting the scene for another robust offering although, as is proving to be the duo's wont, the infectious theme makes it a big hit in any environment (just as long as no elderly relatives or faint-hearted types are involved, there is a tiny bit of swearing in there!!!). As the album progresses, such dynamic tracks as 'Dead Sky (Still Lives Redux)', 'Cracked' & the infectious title track all prove their worth while the lighter mood that graces the still exciting 'Waiting' should appeal to fans of Icon Of Coil & the like. As it reaches its climax 'Ready2Go' starts slowing proceedings down a little before 'New Self' sees the duo expanding their stylistic & sonic pallette with a mix of more organic-sounding sounds & grittily authentic rhythms (that are later augmented by some breakbeats which, it must be said, do sound a little jarring) that gives the track a more lo-fi feel than is the case elsewhere, ending this fine album on a pleasingly imaginative note. There can be no doubt that XP8 have really hit the spot with this one, it's a consistently excellent & exciting album which should make 2008 the year they hit the big time; on this showing they deserve no less.

Artist Red Cell Title Lead Or Follow Format/Cat CD PROCD017 Label Progress Productions Style EBM Date of review July 2008 Reviewer Carl Jenkinson Rating 7/10

This Swedish band's second album sees Jimmy Jonsson, Stefan Aronsson & Per Linnerblad (for it is they) largely eschewing the exciting mix of heavy guitars & electronics that made their 2005 debut Hybrid Society so enjoyable in favour of a more generic style of melodic EBM with some poppier elements. How much of this is down to the line-up changes that have taken place in the intervening period is open to debate (they were a quartet back then) but this more electro-minded approach does give the album a much 'cleaner' sound, in comparison to its predecessor's gritty industrialism, although it's not without a fair amount of oomph, as is proven by the punchy opener 'Shine' which wastes no time in getting into its stride with a memorable chorus helping it make its mark. Many tracks alternate between harsher & more melodic vocal styles although it's a shame that 'Attention' only has the harsher style as a more melodic perfomance would have done a far better job of complimenting the music's uplifting, almost triumphant mood. For the most part, though, it all works well & even though two of the finest tracks, the action-packed 'Broken Smile' & the equally superb 'Movement', are amongst the shortest their impact is still considerable (though this, along with the sub-3 minute EBM blast of 'No Soul Control' undoubtedly contributes towards the disappointing running time of 38 minutes). Still, it's a worthwhile album even so with the full-sound that graces 'Substitute' means that this piece really gets deep into your head (in the best possible way, of course!) while 'Grace' closes the album with another memorable, almost majestic theme ending the album on an appropriately uplifting style. Perhaps some people might take issue with the fact that, in all honesty, there isn't anything radically different or unique on offer here, just a strong selection of fine tracks which, overall, makes this worth a punt.

Older reviews start here: