Customer Reviews

Minus All

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

 

 

Imperative Reaction is one of the (very) few examples that America can produce good electronic music. Starting with 2004's "Redemption", Imperative Reaction started gaining quite a following and with good reason. Their songs were meaningful and full of emotion, unlike the the monotone voices and so called singing that usually is drenched in these sorts of bands. IR came back in 2006 with "As We Fall" which was a less angry effort... but not at all less enjoyable. At this point a lot of fans were under the impression that they would go more and more synthpop with every album. "Minus All" is quite the opposite. There are several moments on the CD that recall the anger and depression found of "Eulogy For The Sick Child" and "Ruined". I hoenstly can't pick any favorites because this album is so well put together and in your face that it just doesn't feel right to listen to 1 or 2 tracks and not the whole album. If you've been waiting for IR to go back to their roots, then this is probably as close as they will come to that sound again.

I remember my first exposure to IR, they opened for VNV Nation, I should mention that it was my first exposure to VNV Nation as well so it was quite the overwhelming experience, in a good way! And it's safe to say that it openned my eyes to a whole new world of music. That night I fell in love with both bands, mostly listening to VNV, but slowly I started picking up albums by IR. The thing to mention here is that, with their previous releases, for me, they always would kind of seem to blend together, and I would have a really hard time dissecting each individual song from another. I mean yeah they'd have their hits and the really stand out tracks.. But for the most part it just wouldn't stick with me. Now, seeing them live on the other hand is a completely different story, I've seen them twice now and it's just amazing how much energy and what a strong and abrasive presence they hold! And with Minus All I really feel they finally have brought that out on the album, this album is the first one that has truly stuck in my head, it's like they're finally breaking out and creating music that truly shines. I'm sure some fans would disagree with me, as everyone has their favorite tracks and albums. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to listen to artists similar to VNV Nation, Blaqk Audio, [:SITD:], Aesthetic Perfection etc.

We live in an age where word and mouth and promoting the bands you love is vital for music to continue to evolve, and I'd love nothing more than to help build up the scene and bring more attention to what is happening in the underground.

I definitely recommend their latest as well as their older albums.

Absolutely amazing. Though I loved "As we Fall", i found some of the beats to be repetitive. Minus all is an amazing work of art, each song flows nicely together but is distinct.
Favorites include
-You Remain
-Drown
-Minus all

I love Imperative Reaction. They are one of my favorite EBM acts. The group continually puts out consistently good work with every album. MINUS ALL is no exception to that statement. MINUS ALL is a sixty minute long opus of aggressive yet melodic dance-friendly industrial music. Without a shadow of a doubt, the album is the band's heaviest effort to date. While I do love their previous album , MINUS ALL takes the aggressive synth beats to the next level. The beats are harsher and in your face. The production is immaculate. Ted Phelps does an excellent job as producer. The songs are both slick and clean yet has a live vibe. I will be the first to admit it took me several listens for the album to sink into my subconsciousness. My personal favorite song is "Drown". It is very slick and clean compared to a lot of the songs on the album which are surprisingly harsh. The melodies and throbbing dance beats always gets me in the mood to dance. Another great song is "Giving Up". I love the abrasive beats and Ted's distorted vocals. It is a very aggressive song. There is not one song on the album I didn't like. It will be great to see the band perform these songs live. Imperative Reaction is a tremendous live act like a lot of their peers on Metropolis Records.

First of all, for my bona fides, and an idea of what GOOD EBM/Industrial is like, check out my list

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-in-the-Mouth-Masterpieces-of-Dark-Electronic-Harshness/lm/R2PN9CDC3W36GQ/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full

Now, this album, Minus All, is very mediocre. It is one of those records that would have been better if it was just music, an no vocals. The music is pretty good-- it is driving and propulsive. Not particularly original, but very competent and fun.

The vocals just suck. The guy doesn't have a particularly strong voice, just an angry one. He could have compensated for this (as many others do) by processing the vocals a bit more, but, instead, he chose to let his puny vocal cords do the work mostly on their own, and they are not up to the task. He sings all from the throat, and it only emphasizes the whiny quality of the lyrics.

Which brings me to the lyrics. They are HORRIBLE. They are pedestrian, boring, whiny. They are just simple-minded presentations of young-adult angst. There is no metaphor, no simile, no creative use of language, no vocabulary, and the words don't even rhyme. Now, you can get away with not rhyming, if you substitute your own creativity in some other way. But the rhyming is supposed to PROVOKE your creativity, or at least, in the absence of creativity, supposed to force you to make pleasing sounds, at least formally speaking. Nope, not for this guy. He prefers his whining straight up, to the point, and utterly banal. Every point is beaten to death, because it is stated in the most overt, plain manner possible. This makes the songs, for all their musical thrust, utterly boring. It is like reading a depressed teenager's diary. A depressed teenager who gets C's in English class.

I refer you to the recent recording by Aesthetic Perfection, A Violent Emotion, for an example of personal lyrics that deal with alienation, frustration, and failure, relationships, etc., in a way that is far more creative and metaphorical, but also more hard-hitting and foreceful. amd far more interesting, than this pedestrian whining.