All has been quiet on the Frontline for years, with not a peep from Leeb & Co since their 2006 release Artificial Soldier. With a constantly rotating lineup of various notable musicians in the industrial music world, this time they lack Rhys Fulber, but add veteran FLA keyboardist/producer Chris Peterson (Noise Unit, Unit 187, Delirium) back to roster, as well as newcomers Jeremy Inkel and Jared Slingerland (of industrial-noise punk anarchists Left Spine Down).
Perhaps the term "modern industrial music" is a contradiction in and of itself, with the implication that industrial music has always been required to stay one step into the future anyway; after all, the genre was founded on the premise that someday, we would live in an age of machines and everything would be controlled artificially. In today's day and age, then, where do we go from here? It has ironically been industrial music's greatest downfall since the 80's; that the genre tends to get stuck in time and eventually sound dated. However, there is a decidedly current sound to FLA's latest release, an urban vibe to the beat production and pacing which immediately brings it up to date.
The album starts at a slow, cold, disembodied tempo, swirling in around us and eventually crashing into our ears as the opening track "I.E.D." (the album title as an acronym) kicks things off into fury. The tried and true themes of destruction, isolation, and the machine age are rampant even in faster-paced dance floor-stomper songs like "Hostage," with its chattering synths and relentless beat, and "Shifting Through The Lens" with its heavily processed vocals. For old time's sake, the album even boasts a track featuring Ministry's Al Jourgenson, "Stupidity," with guitar-driven, metal leanings reminiscent of the Wax Trax! glory days.
The true test nowadays of any industrial album is if it rocks as relentlessly as its punk and metal cousins, yet is still as danceable as the post-90's futurepop and EBM sandwiched in around it at your city's weekly goth/industrial club night. Improvised Electronic Device passes with flying colors, serving up a wealth of cold, harsh, club-worthy fare that will stand up next to the classics. Coming from a group of industrial music pioneers who were there at the beginning, it's good to know that the machine is still alive and kicking after all these years.
