Rating: 4.5 out of 6 stars
Metropolis; 2007
Fallout, a remix EP from Front Line Assembly, is a real treat. Comprised mainly of remixes from their recent Artificial Soldier album, Fallout also contains some previously un-released tracks that do not disappoint, finding most of its strength in dance-friend remixes and a handful of new tracks from FLA. Opening with a “Mindless Mix” of the opening track of Artificial Soldier called “Unleashed,” this track sets the stage with a floor-smashing beat as if those that wanted to remix this track wanted to demolish every beat. It is an unstable vibe, but that is what makes much of this album, with its post-apocalyptic artwork, so enjoyable.
DJ Acucrack remixed “Buried Alive” with a very movable drum ‘n bass beat, and it works incredibly well. The Combichrist Remix is somewhat weak, adding ostinato synths and punchy beats on 2 & 4, which feels like a less enthusiastic version of the first track on this Remix EP. Following these first three tracks are two previously unreleased offerings, among them are (a seemingly Philip K. Dick-inspired) “Electric Dreams,” “Armageddon,” and “Unconscious” (which closes the album in the 12th slot). These new tracks are a real treat. “Electric Dreams” hearkens a bit in vocal flavor to “Existance” from the earlier Epitath release (2001), also opening and closing with ambient flourishes. “Armageddon,” while not as original as “Electric Dreams” (I swear I have heard some of these lyrics before), is still an excellent track, moving the album forward.
“Social Enemy” is mainly a forgettable remix employing all the tried-and-true methods of the previous remixes on the album, but by the time we get to the “Portion Control Remix” of “Lowlife,” some true remix creativity of this album begins to shine through. Slowing down the original tempo a bit to a more plodding groove, this is one of my favorite remixes. The “Dan Kearley Edit Remix” of “Humanity” coming next is also a shining star on this album, completely revamping the original track into something truly original, only keeping a few of “Humanity”’s extant elements.
Covenant remixes “The Storm,” maintaining its penultimate location on this album as in the original on Artificial Soldier. The song has been extended by nearly 2 minutes, making it feel like it should have been all along, akin to the album release of “Maniacal” (5:14) on Civilization and the single version of it (7:21) on the Maniacal EP.
Closing the album is the new “Unconscious.” As an instrumental track (with a view audio samples), it travels through some previously unexplored sonic vistas from the EP and the straight-ahead Artificial Soldier, ending in a bizarre Aphex Twin-style twisted voice. It’s a brilliant track, and one of the reasons I love FLA.
All in all, this album is a must-have for Front Line Assembly fans. Some of the remixes in the first half of the EP get a bit old after a while, but the inclusion of the previously unreleased FLA original tracks and the creatively original remixes on the last half of this album more than make up for this. Also, gone are the days of the Dave McKean artwork, and while I will miss it, the new art direction seems more politically appropriate in these turbulent times. A very enjoyable contribution to the FLA corpus.
