ALEC EMPIRE FUTURIST ALBUM EMPIRE RELEASE: MARCH 28, 2005 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 22, 2005

I'm talking about the death of rock'n'roll - and so begins the latest album by Alec Empire; possibly one of the most famous of all the crossover metal/electronic/noise artists, and of course founder and original member of one of the most exciting and original bands of the 90's - Atari Teenage Riot.
If you are a follower of Mr Empire, you will be aware that there are two distinct sides to his music - on the one side, the heavy pounding beats and rage fuelled lyrics that have progressed from the ATR days - and the altogether more relaxed and technically accomplished works as seen on his Geist Records output. This album though is firmly in the former category; heavy basslines, screaming guitars and pounding beats aplenty. For me Alec Empire is one of the true pioneers of the new industrial/electronic genres - creating some of the most genre-defining tracks with his typically "shouty" vocals and hard-edged sounds.
This album is indeed shouty, with a distinct live band feel; real instrumentation being used throughout to create something of a punk/metal hybrid. Try track "Gotta Get out" to hear one of the best examples of Alec Empire in full glory. "Make em Bleed" is one of the standout tracks in my opinion, full of awkward electronic noises, that make you feel decidedly uneasy, before an awesome seemingly one note bassline drives the track towards what can only be described as an explosion of a chorus - an awesome track. There are also some brilliant pieces of programming - showing Mr Empire hasn't lost any of his production wizardry at all.
Alec Empire has very much found his niche in music, and this album continues in the same vein; if you are a fan of Alec Empire, this album will satisfy you, if you've never heard any of his or his label's work - here is as good a place to start as any. Though this album isn't radically different to other Alec Empire releases, it is full of energy and rage, and possibly, if you are not used to him, it will blow your mind as well as your speakers!

MIKE WHYTE