THIRTEENTH EXILE ASSORTED CHAOS AND BROKEN MACHINERY ALBUM PROTOTYP, MEMENTO MATERIA RELEASE: DECEMBER 7, 2005 REVIEW: FEBRUARY 13, 2006

This Memento Materia debut CD is made by Thirteenth Exile, manned only by Swede Henrik Svegsjö but mixed by another Henrik, with the last name Edenhed, who has worked with Robyn and The Sounds in the past. Maybe this project has been a refreshing change for Edenhed because musicwise, we're talking about harsh EBM that hits you like a punch in the face. This guy is angry, I can tell you that! The standard modern body music fare comes with growling vocals and it's all rather skillfully executed, even though most of the songs blend into one. The mainman himself comes from a metal background, which might explain the dark string melodies hovering over the distorted beats.

With a bit more variation and finesse, "Assorted Chaos and Broken Machinery" would have been a whole lot more enjoyable. If you’re into this style, you will probably consider Thirteenth Exile a worthy addition to the genre.

JOHAN CARLSSON