I am a fan of Front Line Assembly’s album Echogenetic, though it is not one of my favorites. It actually took me a long while to get into. This is primarily due to my own preference for more guitar driven, industrial metal and moderate distaste for the dubstep sound. Echogenetic IS an excellent album that shows off the multitude of talent and skill the Front Line Assembly camp offers. This level of craftsmanship in keeping with the Front Line Assembly feel merely continues on with this remix album ECHOES. Even if other well known Industrial music masters have put their grubby hands all over the tracks.
I don’t really like to review remix albums. A lot of remix albums fall victim to a variety of issues; only a couple good tracks per album, songs remixed so heavily they don’t even resemble the original, and the worst fault is just being remixed poorly. That said, Front Line Assembly is know for their various remixes of songs and albums and rarely disappoint. I can tell you ECHOES does not fall victim to any of these faults and contains the solid Front Line Assembly quality we all know.
ECHEOS takes the tracks from Echogenetic and twists them about to offer some interesting takes on the songs. Some tracks have been softened compared to the original and others have been turned more chaotic. The album includes remixes from the likes of Haujobb, Comaduster, Liebknecht and Rhys Fulber. Each artists adds their own take to the tracks but never let their own voice drown out the core sound FLA created originally with Echogenetic.
My favorite track being ‘Killing Grounds’ remixed by Fulber. Fulber adds some softness and a futuristic soundscape to the heavy beat the original track is known for. A second favorite is “Blood” remixed by Haujobb. It’s almost the perfect fusion of FLA and Haujobb sound, forced together in scary sounding, tech harmony.
ECHOES does have two new Front Line Assembly tracks on the album as well, “Contagion” and “Next War”. Both tracks are worthy of the FLA name and stick to the heavy beat techno-dance-dubstep fusion found on Echogenetic.
If you are a fan of Front Line Assembly, especially their albums like Flavour of the Weak and Echogenetic you will enjoy ECHOES. It does not disappoint.
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