Customer Reviews

Implode

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

FLA returns with their most polished effort to date. While their sideprojects have always explored various niches of their musical tastes, this is the first FLA album to truly integrate those influences with the classic FLA sounds of TNI and Hard Wired, the sheer aggressiveness of Caustic Grip, and the badass drum'n bass loops(thank you, Chris!) of the criminally underappreciated FLAvour. The powerful choirs on 'Prophecy', Bill actually singing on 'Falling', the chorus on 'Machine Slave', and the majestic Delerium-esque tracks 'Silent Ceremony' and 'Synthetic forms' - all examples of the new FLA - more melodic, better produced, and as aggressive as ever. Buy this record, check out the sideprojects, support a great band. You won't regret it.

and then I heard this brilliant gem which took my breath away. I've been a long-time fan of FLA since the early days and they keep evolving (albeit with a few exceptions), but this release is amazing, simply amazing. It combines the best of all their side projects and then some. I love every song (they're all different) but #3 is the true standout in my opinion. I can listen to it over and over, never tiring and hear something different each time. The samples don't bother me, in fact they add an interesting edge, same with the vocals, from actual singing to subliminally whispered darkness; love it! This cd is also the hands-down perfect one to listen to on long dark evening drives... it's mezmerizing, hypnotic, melodic with a harsh edge, dark, moody and beautiful. Simply perfect.

Man what a great piece of music have Bill And Chris put together. They've put all of FLA's side projects into one cd and it freaking worked. The first three songs are your typical Agressive Fla-work your body songs. The second song is just amazing, Bill's voice really stands out and that chunky guitar rift fits like a glove. "Prophecy" is a mid-tempo yet agressive track. I love the lyrics to it. The fourth is an ambient werk with some Event Horizon samples. The fifth track is so un-fla, but its an amazing song, i think its the first fla song to use an aquistic guitar. The sixth is another ambeint werk, a good one at that too. Unknow dreams, the 7th track, should be the song that gets the general public hooked on fla, Bill actually sings, there is some scratching evident, and a really catchy chorus. Torched is another wonderfull track, and so is the 9thtrack. Synthetic forms, the last track, smells of Delerium. It's a wonderfull etheral track. All in all a great cd, a must by for anybody who's into EBM, industrial dance, or just likes good music.

I am a huge fan of Bill Leebs and his various incarnations of Delerium. I recently was inspired to push my interest in industrial music, everything from Front Line Assembly to Wumpscut. I wanted to start checking out Front Line Assembly's work since I am a fan of Bill Leebs so I chose "Implode", an album that is considered to be classic FLA by many standards. "Implode" is certainly a lot different than my beloved favorite KMFDM whose machine gun sounds can often sound repetitive from time to time. I guess I wouldn't say that FLA is completely industrial considering that there are quite a few ambient songs that could easily be found on any Delerium cd. There really isn't a particular sound I heard on "Implode" which makes it all the more interesting. The vocals on "Unknown Dreams" has this dreamy-like quality that makes the song stand out for me. I've never heard that before in a industrial band. The music is still intense and heavy just not glass-shattering as the likes of KMFDM and Wumpscut. "Implode" is definitely a classic in my book.

This is by far THE best FLA release to date! (in my opinion of course). I'm not a huge FLA fan, but if you like industrial music or ebm, you simply must add it to your collection. I like it because it's DARK! layers and layers of darkness - dark samples, dark beats, dark synth melodies, dark sequences. For the Delerium and Conjure One fans out there, the music style isn't quite as accessible...but if you open your mind a little, I think you'd enjoy it too.

"Synthetic Forms", "Falling", "Torched" and "Silent Ceremony" are my favorite tracks on this album...and are perfect stylistic examples of what attracts me to FLA the most. But hey!...it's all good really! BUY it and feel good about it!

I love FLA; maybe they haven't invented anything, but they have evolved in so diverse ways while at the same time keeping an own hallmark, they are one of the best electronic bands ever. They were one of the 1st in introducing guitars, but not with 'Millenium' but much earlier, in 'Caustic grip' and the side-project Noise Unit.
'Implode' is in a way a reunification of all Leeb's side-projects: Delerium, Noise Unit, Synaesthesia, FLA. This means that, instead of limiting this album to a definite mood as they did in the past, 'Implode' is the most varied album by FLA: it has the danceable beats of Noise Unit and Intermix, the delicious passages of Synaesthesia, the best melodic structures of Delerium, the agressiveness of Front Line Asembly: and all well done, superbly I would say.
When you hear this album you realise of various things:
1) Leeb has grown a lot as musician; the structures of the songs are much better.
2) Leeb is not afraid of singing well; but doesn't refuse to use distortion, too; everything has a purpose, depending on the mood and the effect to transmit. He feels he doesn't need to be always agressive as in 'Millenium' or 'Hard Wired', nor always danceable as in 'Flavour of the weak' or 'Drill' and 'Decoder', or always poppy and gentle as in Delerium.
3) he is not afraid anymore of melody, as he himself has said in a recent interview.
4) technically everything is done amazingly: the percussive elemets reveal a great effort, samples are used but they don't drown the songs, guitars are used intelligently, i mean, they serve a purpose just like another instrument: he's not saying, "hey, look, we are electronic but don't hate guitars" as they did in 'Millenium'.

Now, my opinion of the songs:

Retribution (9/10): the song begins with an intro of samples and beats, then a jungle rhythm starts, and the typical Leeb basslines take place; distorted voice, good chorus, still jungle beats, some guitars... conform an excellent opener;

Fatalist (9/10): danceable, catchy, repetitive but doesn't exhaust; it reminds me of Noise unit's 'Dominator' perhaps but with vocals. One of the favourite of the fans.

Prophecy (9.5/10): the single; at first disappointed me. Then I realised it's amazing. Strange beginning, Leeb stmes whispers, stmes sings louder, good chorus, smoother than ever, very climatic parts, amazing percussive work (listen to it with attention) Excellent.

Synthetic Forms (9.5/10): like a Synaesthesia song; if you love these songs (I do), if you like 'Desideratum', f.ex, you'll love this one. The beat is delayed 3 or 4 minutes, a lot of samples, including sounds from Depeche Mode's 'Dangerous', a sampled voice that finally turns into a metallic noise in an amazing way. Then the beats come and the song moves me a lot. Perfect.

Falling (10/10): bell chimes, slow deleriumesque beginning, catchy beats, good voice, acoustic guitars in the chorus, good chorus; a very catchy song, one of the best. FLA at its most melodic side.

Don't Trust Anyone (8.5/10): a weird beginning, then the song gets better and btter; a sort of Noise Unit song, almost instrumental but for a weird sampled voice whispering the title sentence like a kind of sermon. Impressive percussive work again. You can dance till you get tired.

Unknown Dreams (10/10): I looooove it. Slow beginning, cyber sounds, strange beats, no heavy basslines, the most similar to pop FLA can ever get. It may remind us of Haujobb, perhaps, with a very addictive chorus and smooth voice. It's one of the best songs FLA has ever made.

Torched (8.5/10): maybe the weakest song in the album; the song relies mostly on the percussive elements, which are very good; whispering voice, reminds me of Flavour of the Weak material. Good chorus, but not impressive song.

Machine Slave (9/10): long techno intro, good sounds; then the song begins, in a way similar to 'Retribution'; danceable, catchy chorus, agressive voice; the lyrics may seem a sort of parody of success or the music scene, some say. The 'mega' part (Leeb sings defininf everything as "mega") is weirds at first, then is funny.

Silent Ceremony (9.5/10): another instrumental a la Synaesthesia; slow beginning, you know, always adding new and new elements and layers of sounds until the song actually starts and all my senses are directed towards this amazing piece. I love it.

Stalker (8/10): the extra track. Instrumental, very similar to 'Spheres' material. spacey sounds, ambient structure, not impressive but relaxing.

This is my favourite album by FLA; I know Tactical Neural implant is maybe most essential, most relevant regarding the music scene, but 'Implode' is more varied, better done, catchier than the rest FLA cds. Maybe at first it's not the one you would say 'it rocks', because it's less direct than 'Hard Wired' or 'Millenium'; it is more subtle, so it improves with every listening. I never get tired of it.

Bill Leeb is one of the most prolific artists out there and one would think that because of this he would produce several albums that are mediocre at best and terrible at worst. This is not the case and this 1999 release shows that he is a very inovative guy that changes the sound for each release. The sound for this can be said to be a mix back to the old days of FLA and sound at times like a mix between caustic grip and TNI. It also has a very heavy dose of techno, trance and electro and the guitar used it is used very effectively. There is not book-let and the cover art is very odd to say the least, but it is a very well produced record.

While Frontline Assembly are considered one of the forfathers of the industrial movement, theyhave always had a sort of cold, clinical approach. This is by no means a bad thing, but it can make for some disconnected feeling music. Their music is always brilliant on a technical level, but often feels to be lacking humanity.

That is all corrected on IMPLODE which may be their best effort yet. The addition of deeper orchestration and more vocal (even some chior) samples make this album feel alive. Something the past efforts lacked.

Look at all the five star reviews given already. I won't even bother to sell you on this album. Apparently it sells it's self. Suffice to say it is an outstanding piece of what can be loosely labeled as industrial-gothic-tecno; a label most people don't really care for, but oh well. Bill Leeb's lyrics are still pretty cheesy, but it will be okay if you don't read them as they're pretty well masked by the music it's self. A great album, buy it.

Bill Leeb can easily be confused with God after hearing this record