Customer Reviews

Ruined

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

 

 

After a long 3 to 4 year hiatus, Imperative Reaction returns to leave their mark once again in the industrial scene with Ruined. Ruined possesses a slightly different style of music than found on Eulogy For The Sick Child. The most obvious difference is Imperative Reaction's decision to get rid of the distortion in the lyrics for most of their songs (a trait becoming more common with newer industrial/EBM releases). This is not necessarily a bad thing, but some may prefer the old style so it's worth mentioning. The music itself has changed little thankfully...still purely electronic industrial with some dance/EBM atmosphere present. Ruined is just different enough that it may confuse fans of the first album, but after listening to the whole CD, I believe most will ultimately be satisfied. I would have liked to see a few more tracks (at just over 40 minutes, it's a bit on the short side), but at least the ones present are decent material. Add Ruined to your collection if you are a fan of industrial/EBM bands like Android Lust, Assemblage 23, and Individual Totem.

From start to finish this album is incredible. I was a fan of IR's first album but this blows it away by far. It's amazing what these guys can do with a synthesizer. They manage to get a heavey rock industrial feel (Not too far from Broken era NIN)yet they don't use one guitar track on the whole album. On top of this they still maintain their dance edge. I have been playing a promo copy of this album at my club for the last three weeks and it has been packing the dance floor. Great job Imperative Reaction!

This CD is great and it has everything. I had never heard of Imperative Reaction until I saw them play at the House of Blues in Anaheim on 5-18-05. They opened for VNV Nation and I thought they sounded fantastic! I ended up buying this album and Redemption as well. They are both great! If you like stuff like Icon of Coil, VNV Nation, Assemblage 23, Apop, and old Nine Inch Nails, then you will love this! Also, they are great in concert! Buy Ruined and Redemption and be happy!
Lori age 31

This is a really great CD, a nice mix of electro-industrial and alternative rock, something you would be likely hear on alternative radio if it wasn't for the electronics, oh, and the fact that they don't sound like everyone else. There are some really stand-out songs that showcase a ton of emotion in the singer's voice. The lyrics are excellent for the most part, and the music crosses the gambit from mind-blowing to mundane. Ruined isn't perfect but for the most part it comes across as a shining example of doing something different can really sound great and not sound like selling out. (*Cough, Apoptygma Berzerk, Cough*)

The band may be young on the album, but they're light years ahead of the competition in the aggrepeo / ebm music scene. This is an instant hit in my books. I've been flipping the disc at my club since I got the pre-release in Nov. 20002 & it still gets play from time to time.

It's been three years since Imperative Reaction's first album came out, but after listening to "Ruined" I have to say that it has been well worth the wait. It's refreshing to see something new come out of the industrial scene. This is the type of album that I think will raise the bar for other artists and with any luck, maybe we see some other acts try to do something original for a change. I highly recommend buying "Ruined!" You won't regret it.