COMBICHRIST MAKING MONSTERS ALBUM OUT OF LINE RELEASE: AUGUST 27, 2010 REVIEW: OCTOBER 21, 2010

Norwegian Andy LaPlegua keeps on churning out material under the Combichrist moniker, feeding the seemingly many fans hungry for hard EBM dancefloor fodder. "Making Monsters" is no different than most of its predecessors, apart from the use of unmanipulated vocals on a few tracks and a slightly heavier techno feel than before.

Being a fan of Icon of Coil's more melodic pop oriented work, Combichrist have never quite captured me, but LaPlegua must be awarded some kudos for crafting some very powerful club EBM. The, quite surprising, gentle passages in, for example, "Throat full of Glass" help balance a sound structure that sometimes can be a bit too much "in your face", pounding and pounding without relenting.

"Making Monsters", per usual also released as a limited edition 2CD and vinyl, comes well equipped for those who love the band while doubters will keep ignoring Combichrist.

NIKLAS FORSBERG