Customer Reviews

Strain

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It can be rather difficult these days to find decent industrial music that stands out above the rest, yet Flesh Field manages to do just that. With top-notch production, outstanding, catchy beats, and two vocalists that are far from grating on the ears, Flesh Field has managed to put together an incredibly noteworthy album.

The album opens with "Uprising," an extremely catchy, hypnotic, trance-inducing song. A great opener. My one minor complaint is that the lyrics tend to leave something to be desired. "Haven" interlaces grinding beats and mellower ballad-esque synth interludes, as well as some of the gorgeous classical elements that are prevalent throughout this album's entirety. "The Eucharist" is a slightly mellower (though no less danceable) song that shows lyrical improvement, and adds some simple, yet tasteful piano into the mix. "Recoil" opens with gorgeous classical elements and then quickly picks up the pace, morphing into a heart-pounding anthem of betrayal and deceit.

"Voice of Dissent" begins with a short classical prelude and gradually adds driving guitars and drums. This song serves as a poignant proclamation of Flesh Field's ability to seamlessly combine several musical elements into an entrancing and enticing conglomeration. "Amoeba" incorporates strings and stellar female backing vocals in addition to the driving guitars and pounding rhythms, giving this track an epic and momentous feel that bleeds into "The Collapse." "Epiphany" opens with piano accompaniment to Yanko's sweetly innocent vocals. Synthesizers and strings are gradually added, as are guitars and crunching beats. This is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.

The lyrics could probably use some improvement throughout the album's entirety, and the male vocals tend to sound washed out and rather low in the mix at times, but the superior elements of this album far outweigh the inferior.

Strain seems to showcase a perfect balance of raw and aggressive cyber-punk, emotional electro-rock, and classical elegance. Wendy Yanko and Ian Ross are clearly a phenomenally ingenious duo who deserve to remain on the scene and continue to put forth more incredible albums. I anxiously look forward to whatever they may come up with next. If you're looking for some fresh and creative industrial to add to your collection, then pick this album up!

With its simplistic chord changes and glossy production, industrial music today sometimes resembles Britney Spears in a trench coat. But beyond the high school diary lyrics and over-compressed guitars lies some amazing production here. Symphonic textures, distorted kicks, breakbeats, and all manner of synths interweave in richly cinematic fashion. The songs often last over five minutes, but don't feel long due to the constantly shifting soundscape. The smart use of filters greatly enhances the male and female vocals here. If only Britney Spears could have this kind of production behind her...

This album showed me how boring and pedestian a lot of industrial/electronica is there's more style and flair in the 1,2,3 combo of Uprising,Haven & Reflect The Enemy than whole albums by other artists. The sheer variety in sound stylings that all gel together perfectly is quite awe inspiring. The combination of Ian Ross's seething rasping vocal style and Wendy Yanko's feminine style is a brilliant combination that isn't overused. Buy it now and get ready for an epiphany.

This is the first Flesh Field album I have picked up. I find to be an absolutely awesome piece of industrial. This kind of music is what industrial is all about - gnarl vocals, heavy synth, and grinding guitars over a nice beat.

Every song on here is great, but the best ones are "Uprising", "Recoil", and "Seethe".

They thank a myriad of people who had nothing to do with the project - don't assume they automatically did. If you believe NIN actually had anything to do with this, than you must be an idiot because by that logic you must think that Worf (yes, Star Trek) had something to do with it to.

Fleshfield is ready to get the recognition they deserve. Beginning with new singer, Wendy Yanko that compliments the new edge Fleshfield has discovered giving emotion to every track instead of sounding like one was programmed but had the words changed from each song and makes this CD well worth the buy. "Uprising" starts the CD off descending into a post Apocalyptic vision that prepares us for the aggression this CD has to offer. With the attack of the japanese-like war drums, one is thrown in and out of this all out war on the senses. "Haven" continues the war but this time directed at oneself. The symphony elements that were prominent throughout Fleshfield's Belief Control have remained intact and only compliment the vision that Fleshfield has set before us. The inclusion of Guitar in almost all of the tracks never overpowers or underpowers the mix but compliments the formula already set. "Reflect The Enemy" starts off with a choir signaling this cd is not to be played quiet but with your ears bleeding to truly enjoy the power this cd has to offer. "The Eucharist" slows it down to present us with choking on your own god. With a light start and gentle drums to make you feel as if you might be in a smoky bar relaxing to the sounds when while you are daydreaming it creeps up from behind you attacking you and throwing you to the floor kicking you in the face. "Recoil" begins with as if you are in that perfect moment...she reaches over you two kiss everything is so perfect...only a facade...a new face surfaces and once again you are on the defensive looking for a way out. "Seethe" gives you no air to breathe just booming gabber like drums that kick you again and again. "Voice of Dissent" with Ted Phelps of Imperative Reaction fame takes the lead on vocals and beginning with symphony work that sounds like it should have been in the first 'Tomb Raider' movie for the fight scene in the mansion. This Cd has something to offer everyone and varies from song to song. This cd DOES NOT sound like every other artist out there and puts Fleshfield in a category on their own. This CD breathes new life into a slow declining genre and was well worth the wait. If you are looking for the typical 4x4 beat and the same cd recycled over and over then this CD is not for you...If you are looking for an evolution in the industrial/electro rock genre this CD is for you and comes highly recommended. Also to note thanking someone in the notes on a CD does not mean that person or fictional character had anything to do with the CD, It simply means without these people the CD would never have been born, their influences...

I have listened to a lot of aggro/electro and enjoy most of it. I happened by this band by accident and was blown away. The vocal interchange is great and Ian's voice is unique. What makes me sad is they no longer are a band. So I suggest you get a copy and see for yourself some awesome music

This is one of those albums which make me squirm with "if only...!". The good first: the mixing and the production of this album are top notch. Very catchy beats, great soundscapes, both vocalists do their jobs very well. They have all the ingredients for a top-of-the-line industrial / futurepop release.

But then there's the fly in the ointment: the melody. Many tracks in the album start out well, but are then interluded with corny synth string & piano melodies. They stick out and give the tracks an incoherent nature. The film soundtrack-esque big tribal drums and choir chants are also a bit out of the whole, feels like the artists tried to mix together a bit too many ingredients.

But overall, I like this album. Or rather, I like the potential this album represents band for the band's next release. Just, please, leave the strings and pianos out. And either come up with catchier melodies (for good examples look into Razed in Black, or why not even VNV Nation), or just forget about them and concentrate on the industrial beats and vocals which you do so well.

My favorite track is "Reflect the Enemy". It has great beats, great sounds - and it's more coherent, stylistically pure than the rest.

From a weary music fan I must say this is quite impressive. Decent vocals throughout,but the awesome beats and song structure carry this album.

it took a while for this cd to grow on me.but i found this pretty damn good.i listen to everything from darkwave to futurepop and even to some metal and found this i highly enjoyable cd.yes, the female vocals could have been better still considering the quality and variety of the songs offered i have found this to be one of the better cd's i have purchased for the year.if you enjoyed nin's downward spiral then you should definitely enjoy ff's strain

My expectations were probably too high but I'm strongly disappointed with this album. Main reason is different (and much worse imo) female singer. Her vocals are either annoying or boring..depends on song. Reminds me of Snake River Conspiracy singer, and that's not good.

But there are still few good songs on here (haven, epiphany...)

Viral Extinction is still the best so far...