Here's the 8th album from ebm/ future pop project that formed in the late 90's . The vocals are a laid back baritone croon. This occupies a similar space as a "band" like Covenant, who this inspired me to look into their current whereabouts. This is pretty straight forward and the first real song "Afterglow" doesn't really blow me away. The vocals are marginally more interesting to "Bravery", but the synth lines are way too happy and make the song sound like it sound be the soundtrack to an anime movie.The lyrics are about addiction and the music feels too happy for the subject matter.
The synths get a little more aggressive and closer to what I'll accept as industrial on "Salt the Earth". There is a thicker coating of plastic on the grooves of "Static". "Call the Dawn" becomes back ground music with it's bouncier groove. The lyrics to "Butterfly Effect" come across as melodramatic non-sense. The groove to the song is stronger, but the vocals are a bit of a distraction. There is more depth to "Barren". It's not as dark as dark wave, but darker than the rather upbeat tone the album has taken up until this point. The album falls back into middle of the road dance music on "Grind". "December" is not much better.
Then comes a bunch of remixes that shall not count in regards to this review, even though some of these versions are better than the original mixes. This makes you beg the question, why didn't you just do that in the first place. 'Ignorance" is a decent song, it comes with all the strengths and weaknesses that have been displayed through the album and no new ground is broken. "Goliath" is more driving and dramatic in the synth line, vocally it still hovers in the same almost monotone place this album has been rooted. I'll give this one a 5.5, I got bored midway throught and began wishing I have invested this time in the Covenant album instead.
6.5
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