IMPERATIVE REACTION MINUS ALL ALBUM METROPOLIS RELEASE: OCTOBER 7, 2008 REVIEW: OCTOBER 15, 2008

What happened? This is the overriding thought I have when I listen to Imperative Reaction's new album "Minus All". Compared to the triumph of the previous "As We Fall", their latest is a snooze-fest of cliched lyrical content and juvenile dance floor appeal. Subtley is utterly in absentia, everything is regimented and safely roughed up.

Rushed is also a word that comes to mind when listening to this thing. The song "Product" may be intended as tongue in cheek, I'm not entirely sure it is given the overall feel of "Minus All". I'd say it's the new musical vein Imperative Reaction are exploring. Mundane layers of sound desperately attempt to distract the listener but I'm persistent enough to sift through them one at a time. The end result, or to use a more appropriate term is this: Empty.

This is a spent band, their weariness is palpable even if you don't dissect a song like "Functional" which I now will: driving synthetic melody lines, straight up beats, unprocessed almost whiny vocals. Jesus, just stop guys. The field of hyper-melodic electronic edgy pop music is a very cut up confection with bands like Cesium_137 leading the pack handily. System Syn's last album also easily outshines this plodding slab of torpor.

PETER MARKS