Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Statement of Intent, January 17, 2004
With 'Front by Front' Front 242 made a giant leap forward. Combining hard, EBM beats to politically motivated lyrics, this album served both as a 'how to' to other bands in making aggressive dance music, and also as a statement in its own right.Many will know 'Headhunter' as the album's centrepiece and highlight, but there is much more to admire here. 'Circling Overland' is as ominous as it sounds, all forboding bass and dense electronics layering a song about war and aerial attacks by bomber planes. 'First In First Out' shows they could also make modern, more commercial sounding dance music if they really wanted to and what is more, it sounded much better than most other groups' efforts, and also was ahead of many other groups in making that kind of music. 'Never Stop' is a classic Front 242 song. Much more accessible than much of 242's work, it features a strong beat and shifting bass combining it into a strong, dance song. Of course 'Headhunter' is the star and there is two versions of it on here. A band at their peak making strong, excellent aggressive dance music. This is a must have for fans of the EBM/hard dance genre.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is it!, July 26, 2005
"Front By Front" was my introduction to Front 242, the band whose sound is at the centre of my roots.
"Until Death": The anthemic introduction to the album, a.f.a.i.k this was never released as a single, although it was often heard in nightclubs. Think of that sense of righteousness, of belonging one used to feel when dancing to EBM, add F242's militant beats of the time and you'll get the picture.
"Circling Overland" continues the unforgiving beat of the first number, but with painful restraint. Images of military aircraft overhead, like you're in some important Cold War movie. Sheer brilliance!
"Im Rhythmus Bleiben" became a single meant for clubs, with its fast and hard beats. The synthesizers were very 80's. This was a bit like aerobics for Industrial fans wasn't it? "Stay in the rhythm!", Jean-Luc demanded. We obeyed.
"Felines" had a cult following - that distorted vocal sample sounded like, well, a cat. And Jean-Luc's voice... A slow, brooding number. As the song ends, one gets a sense that something's about to happen, but...
"First In/First Out" fast but loose beats postpone the inevitable climax of the album just a little more. And just.a.little bit more with "Blend the Strengths"...
... until finally, the familiar percussion and signature synth of that timeless, EBM anthem "Headhunter" explodes and your legs take over, the rhythm becomes overpowering and you're utterly powerless over its seduction!
"Work 01" and "Terminal State", like "Blend the Strengths" pale in comparison to the rest of the album, finally giving way to the curious "Welcome to Paradise" with its rather dated synth yet hilarious commentary on charismatic churches through clever use of samples - "Hey poor, you don't have to be poor anymore - Jesus is here!"
The rest of this album, the Sony remastered issue of 1992 is filled with remixes and B-sides, none of which really stands out except for Headhunter's 12" version - the one we used to lose ourselves to on the dancefloors under that strobe light...
Favourite tracks are the first two and of course both versions of Headhunter. To me this will always remain the benchmark album. I think of Front 242 as having had 3 eras, the first being the early 80's synth feel of Geography, the second being around the time of this album (give or take a few years) when their signature sound consisted of relentlessly executed beats with a military theme, and the third being the time when they took back from the techno world what they borrowed from F242 in the first place on the "E.V.I.L Off" album and its companion "Angels Vs Animals" EP.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My favorite album by ANY band, April 8, 2000
The album Front By Front is my favorite album by any band; every song on this album has tremendous emotional potency, and half of the songs are completely legendary in my mind. "Circling Overland" is a superb song with haunting strings and some excellent vocals to boot. "Im Rhythmus Bleiben" is truly a classic; it is impossible to not be happy and without weight while listening to it. Headhunter V3.0 is my favorite song; it is the definition of a great song that provides an excellent emotional catalyst. The song has some of the best vocals I have ever heard, and the chorus string-like sounds make me happier than any other song I have ever heard. The final fantastic song, "Welcome To Paradise," is one of the funniest songs ever; cool musically, and chock-full of samples of the southern televangelist Farrell Griswold...I LOVE it! Gotta love televangelism. To sum it up; BUY THIS ALBUM!
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