A phoned-in effort
3
By oldschool rivethead
This album feels like it is lacking the passion and attention to detail that FLA used to bring. You can never fault their production values, but the actual songwriting here is not at their usual level. This is a trend that began with Echogenetic in 2013 but is probably most evident with Mechanical Soul. The difference is very striking if you go back and listen to, say, the Epitaph album, and then come back to this one. For me the golden age of FLA is quite a long one, extending from Caustic Grip through Improvised Electronic Device, but it's now been over a decade since we've gotten what I would consider a classic FLA release.
A little more energy here
4
By Arnold Diaz
There is so much plodding industrial music out in the world, pretty much consistently since NIN released The Downward Spiral in the last century. ONE of the things that made FLA stand out was its ability to put some life and energy into faster-paced songs that were simultaneously melodic and frightening. Here they bring some energy back into the mix, so fans who remember the energy of their early live shows (you know, the ones you could dance to), will enjoy the pace of this album more than most things they've released in the 21st century. Worth the entire album purchase, instead of individual songs this time!
Recycled
2
By Chikasaw
Had so much hope for this album after the debacle of the last. Back to waiting for a true and original album some year.
Best since Implode
5
By ArcanVm
This is such a strong release from Bill and Rhys I can’t really emphasize it enough. This album has the dance sensibility of TNI and the texturing brilliance of Implode with some of the best vocal mixing they’ve ever had. The vocals effects actually sound really unique on this album and the mood throughout is vintage FLA. If you’re a fan you must check this album out. It’s one of their best
