Band:	Alec Empire
Album:	Futurist
Style:	Breakcore, Hardcore
Release date:	2005

01. Kiss Of Death
02. Night Of Violence
03. Overdose
04. Gotta Get Out
05. Point Of No Return
06. Vertigo
07. Make Em Bleed
08. Hunt You Down
09. Uproar
10. In Disguise
11. Terror Alert: High
12. XXV3

I realize that there are people out there who think that the noise that Atari Teenage Riot has been making during the last decade or so is nothing short of pure genius; however, to me it always seemed that the hype surrounding these German techno-anarchists was a little out of place. Granted, their mix of jungle beats with hardcore techno, metal guitars and the occasional corrosive Merzbow-esque noise'o'rama proved to be quite an influential hybrid that many bands have copied since but then again, ATR albums always seemed to lack the sort of consistency that would make them bona fide timeless classics.

This is where Alec Empire's Futurist comes in. Finally, the DHR camp has released an album that I enjoy completely throughout and can't stop listening to. Unlike most of Empire's solo work and the ATR albums he contributed to, Futurist is a very concise and focused record. Instead of trying to throw every possible clashing musical element into a blender, Empire and Nic Endo (an ATR cohort of his) just cranked up the guitars on this album, and it works. The effect is an unapologetically raw and aggressive mix of punk, metal and electronica that is as addictive as it is brilliant. Everything is misleadingly simple, based mostly on three chord progressions and screamed vocals. Beneath this layer of simplicity; however, there is quite a complex beast and music that is obviously very carefully designed and meticulously crafted. Just check out the explosive track "Gotta Get Out" - starting with a punk riff and Empire's acerbic vocals, the song progresses into a thrashy bridge and climaxes with the unmistakable techno beat of a real electronic wizard. "Night Of Violence" might be even better with its catchy shout-along refrain, although frankly the entire album is extremely good.

Its been a long time since I heard something as fresh and thirsty for blood as Futurist in the realms of industrial metal or rock. Get this record.