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CD ReviewInterlace – “Imago”By Marcus Pan
But it is really that easy...if the amount of industrial CDs that hits my desk is any indication. More than half are one or two man electronic attempts at mayhem. Fortunately for all of us, there's labels like ArtOfFact, who will not call back the ones that ain't worth it. So while it may be tough to rifle through what's worth buying and what's about as industrially abrasive as a wet fart on a cheese grater, ArtOfFact is still able to pick out of this growing crowd only what's worth pressing to disc. Interlace is ArtOfFact's latest find. Imago is as up to snuff pro as anything you'll pick up from Sammy's and has some of the most disturbing cover art you'll find courtesy of Dave McKean. Imago is Interlace's first release on this side of the Atlantic and should set them on top of the swarm. Without succumbing to the "add as much crap as possible to sound cool and unique" errors that I've highlighted on another review I've written today, Interlace's work is a machination of machinery, electronics and heavy-handed beats and bass. Opening the CD with a highlight to the album, Master is about as darkly evil and deep reaching as can be hoped for. With voxed but nonetheless understandable vocals, Master is a heavy handed smack to religious principles. Sleep on Stones slows it down from a BPM point of view, lacing static against subtle synths and keys. Also here on Imago are the lyrics I was hoping for in, yet another, review I wrote today where I bitched about the content being somewhat banal and childish. None of that here. From "Thorns are aplenty, which ones make the crown?" (Conformity) to "Skin covered with trenches of the war inside." (Veneer), you'll find lots of content to sink your teeth into here making Imago as challenging to your ears as your mind. The album will alternate between heavy stompage and slower beat-centric and trancelike as far as musical instrumentation goes. But as it moves to the end it will get predominantly smoother and lighter. Crystalline Hush was quite a surprise, with only lightly voxed vocals that, juxtaposed against machinery bangs and a lightly moving bass line, creates a touch of sweetness smack dab in the middle of the harsh imagery and sounds of the remainder of Imago. ArtOfFact knows how to pick their acts and have done so consistently well for years now. Right around here I'd usually have a dozen footnotes to give you a heads up on who they already have picked, but instead look it up yourself I'm tired. But, as I was saying, they've picked out of a lineup of what was probably a deluge another great choice for any industrial rivethead's collection. Interlace delivers – whether it be their low down tempo pieces like Crystalline Hush or Veneer or their stomperrific clashes of mechanical dirges like Master or Conformity. Watch for a feature interview coming in Legends soon hereafter. Contact Information: Click to Buy!
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Industrial and electro-EBM is probably one
of the easiest music to create. If not for the fact that I was auditioning for
Bitter Grace in a day or so, I might even try it myself. You really don't need
much...not even a band. Just do it yourself, is the rage, and lock yourself in
the basement with a kick drum, a bell to bong on with your left hand, a
keyboard to tinker with for your right and use your schlong to hit the play
button the DAT. And that's not really cool with me...I'm terribly against
schlong-created music.
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