The Luna Sequence - The Day the Curse Grew Stronger

(Property of The Luna Sequence, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

A new album by The Luna Sequence is coming out on April 23. From what I understand, "[t]here will be digipaks." For the record, I voted for hoodies when she was asking whether or not we wanted hoodies or digipaks, but I cannot complain, for that was the will of the people. Here is the track listing:

1. After Dreams Isolate
2. End of Empires
3. Whitewash Currents
4. Purpose Beyond Form
5. The Catalyst Passage
6. Visions
7. Pale Heart Purification
8. Shadows From the Watchtower
9. Lacerate
10. Begin Where I End

Skin Tight Remix Contest

(Property of Alfa Matrix and I:Scintilla, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

On the I:Scintilla Bandcamp page, they are presenting the finalists for their "Skin Tight" remix contest. What makes this interesting is that instead of the web-based voting that you see for most contests like this, the money you're willing to pay for the songs is what generates the votes. All proceeds go to Amnesty International, and whichever song makes the most money gets to go into Marrow 2.

Ayria - "Missed the Mark"

As an early Valentine's Day gift to her fans, Ayria is going to let you all download a song, "Missed the Mark", from her new Plastic and Broken EP right now, before the February 14 release date if you preorder her EP. "Missed the Mark" is very pop, but I like it.

Android Lust - Crater Vol. 1

Do you enjoy everyday sounds being mixed beautifully into experimental electronic/industrial music? Do you like esoteric songs that tell stories with a minimum of lyrics? Do pretty instrumentals get you going? What about water? Do you like water? No -- seriously, do you like water?

If you said "yes" to any of the above questions, Android Lust's Crater Vol. 1 is the album for you.

(Property of Android Lust, used with permission)

[Tracks] - [Time]

1. My Kingdom for a God - 3:44

2. Vereor - 3:01

3. Water Whispers - 4:38

4. I Need to Know - 4:47

5. From the Other Side - 4:11

6. First Man - 2:02

7. When the Rains Came - 5:27

8. Yaakuntik - 1:00

9. Here and Now - 4:15

10. Precipice - 8:05

I hope you're a nature lover, because this album is going to make you feel like you're surrounded by it most of the time. This is not the cold kind of industrial that makes you feel like you're in a jungle of steel, but rather, this is warm throughout. It makes you feel like you're one with the Earth.

The opening song, "My Kingdom for a God", is solid. To be perfectly honest, the piano is downright creepy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. This is the kind of song that would have felt right at home in a Parasite Eve game, because the mix of the piano, scratchy electronic background beat, and faint, almost ghostly vocal track in the middle to end gives the sense of desolation in a place where there was life. This really sets the tone for the rest of the album, which shows almost a forced sense of nature for the listener. You're not surrounded by nature because this is a happy weekend camping trip; you're surrounded by nature because everything just got obliterated around you and turned into nature.

"Vereor" sounds like the theme for someone walking across a barren wasteland. The raspy beat juxtaposed with the flowing melody and occasional piano bits makes for the feeling that you're just walking with no direction other than to not find your final resting place. It feels bleak and hopeless, like what is necessary to endure to survive.

As for "Water Whispers", remember when I asked if you liked water? Here's the first of multiple "water songs" in this album. The entire song is primarily made up of the noises of dripping and running water mixed with traditionally Middle Eastern instruments, mild chorus-like vocals, and electronic percussion. Let it be known to the world that Shikhee knows how to utilize the sounds of water to their fullest extent in her music. I'm not entirely sure if this is supposed to be related to the other two songs in the sense of being part of linear storytelling, but I just enjoy this song because it sounds incredibly relaxing. Perhaps the idea is that the hero or heroine is resting for the night.

The next two songs feel kind of like asides, as if the addition of vocals is supposed to make us stop and listen for something in particular. I think "I Need to Know" is a song about questioning if a relationship is going to go the distance. It's melancholy and conveys doubt throughout. The song does feel like a frozen moment though in an album that had been previously focused on movement. As for "From the Other Side", there is clear and obvious despair over a current situation with the periodic assertion that "there must be another way". This song kind of splits the album into two halves from the world of collapse and desolation in the first half to the world of acceptance and rebuilding in the second half.

"From the Other Side" doesn't have a fade at the end and goes directly into "First Man", which sounds like the noise of an engine firing up and then goes into harsh industrial noise and symphonic horns, almost reminiscent of commercials for sci-fi films involving extraterrestrials. This does feel like the first glimmer of hope in the whole album though for our hero or heroine who doesn't want civilization to collapse.

Our second water song for the album is "When the Rains Come", which -- I'll give you three guesses -- utilizes the noise of falling rain throughout, particularly in the first half. If some TV show about wildlife had a major special, I'd instantly recommend this song for a montage. This is the song where you can just picture a video of all the vegetation regrowing and the fauna starting to come back. The melody that's created by what sounds like a softened electronic xylophone in the second half of the song completely nails it for the song's mood. This is probably tied for my favorite song on the album with the first, "My Kingdom for a God".

The single-minute "Yaakuntik" gives me kind of the same feelings that "Water Whispers" does, except this is a more peaceful, less stressed respite. The sitar really does it for me. Also, even though this is a short song, I think this is meant to be a stand-alone. It's not like "First Man", which was meant to be closely related to "From the Other Side".

"Here and Now" is the third and final song in the album where Shikhee's vocals shine. She talks about a choice that is simple and necessary. In regard to what the choice is, I think it may be left open to interpretation, but I think it has something to do with the healing process from trauma suffered. Within a grander narrative of the world's destruction, there could be a choices in regard to how to rebuild and bring Earth back to its former glory. From a more micro-level narrative of personal trauma, such as the relationship Shikhee mentions in "I Need to Know", this could be her choice on whether or not she is going to break up with her significant other. Either way, this is probably the most sultry song of the album.

Finally, the eight-minute-plus "Precipice" is the last of the water songs. Trickling creek noises and wind blowing opens the song for about a minute and a half until the piano comes in once again to give us that real epilogue feeling. Afterward, we get a little bit of cymbal action going with the trickling water keeping up with the beat as opposed to just providing ambiance. After over halfway through though, we go back to the soft noise of weather and nature, and I feel that brings the song through to the end on the necessary note. We're rebuilding the world slowly after something catastrophic. The song shouldn't convey the rise of a stunning metropolis, but rather the quiet of slow, steady progress. It's supposed to be peaceful, and that's exactly what we get.

All in all, this album has everything you could possibly ask for in an Android Lust release. It has beautiful instrumentals. It has a little bit of Shikhee's wonderful voice. It tells a great story. And it has water. Lots of water. If you want to experience lots of water and other stuff, Crater Vol. 1 comes out January 29, 2013!

VNV Nation - Automatic

Last I checked, VNV Nation was a thing. So, I figured I'd talk about their latest album, Automatic, from 2011.

(Property of Anachron, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

[Tracks] - [Time]

1. On-Air - 3:26

2. Space & Time - 4:53

3. Resolution - 6:14

4. Control - 5:50

5. Goodbye 20th Century - 4:27

6. Streamline - 6:06

7. Gratitude - 6:05

8. Nova (Shine a Light on Me) - 6:06

9. Photon - 5:52

10. Radio - 7:47

First, as an aside, am I the only person who thinks it would be hilarious if VNV Nation were to make their next album with a Streamline Moderne theme to counter Automatic's Art Deco? Maybe VNV could make an album cover that remixes this image. But I kid. I kid.

VNV Nation takes its theme seriously in this release, beginning with the "dawn of the modern age" feel of the opening song, "On-Air", an instrumental that mixes radio static with a piano tune. It's seemingly meant to evoke feelings of being brought into this modern world that these musicians want to guide you through.

"Space and Time" is probably my second favorite song ever by VNV Nation, only trailing behind "Standing (Still)". It's quite poppy, but I like this more hopeful, less angry version of VNV Nation. In this song, Ronan sings about something that everyone should be able to relate to, the ability to look at one's past and wonder if all the decisions made were the best. As the lyrics explain, through this type of looking back, one can manage to feel "lost" and get swept away in the feeling. It's the kind of song that everyone can listen to and be able to think about in their own way with meaning and purpose.

As for the beat and melody, I think this is the kind of song that should be in any goth-industrial DJ's back pocket when there is a need to fill in a middle-speed gap with something inspirational and highly danceable. This song does tons of different things and changes directions a number of times, which keeps ears pretty occupied, too. You want fast booms? You got it. You want clear vocals against a soft beat? Got it. Like significant synth work? Got it. Want an instrumental section that is seemingly self-aware? Got that, too. This is the kind of song that I admit that I'm a complete sucker for, and if it's done well, it will force me to gush almost every time.

The very next song, "Resolution", is another excellent song for which I cannot say enough praise. It's about the need to maintain pride and fighting spirit in the face of adversity and loss. There is a certain type of beauty to this song that is difficult to find in a lot of music, particularly in futurepop. In my opinion, the electronic processing that goes into futurepop (or synthpop or EBM) makes it difficult to convey artistic beauty of the self, which this song does. Often, it's hard to experience the story and be able to float through it without being aware that you're within the presence of a song. I feel like "Resolution" does this though, or at least it comes very close. Even the fast beats are soothing and subdued, and when I listen to the song, particularly for the second or third time in a short period, it can cause a somewhat hypnotic dream state. The time just passes, and I can just picture the story as it relates to my life and memories.

"Streamline" is another good one. This is part of a greater commentary about the betterment of humankind. VNV uses imagery of futuristic technological improvements to explain the advancements in how people think and feel. There is a variable, slightly noisy vibrating beat in the background that adds to the feeling of the somewhat commercial-like feeling of the song. (To clarify, the presentation feels a little bit like one of those commercials during one of the Sunday morning news shows in the U.S. in which the company advertising seems to always talk at length about all the things it's doing to make the world better.) This is more of a "listening" song than the last two that I mentioned, but I still like it.

Now, if you want a song that will pick you up after you feel like you've been punched in the gut by your significant other, "Gratitude" is the song for you. The melody in the beginning is pretty, and the lyrics have that half-sincere, half-sarcastic vibe that makes this song wonderful. The lyrics basically boil down to, "Thank you for screwing me over. I've learned a lot." This is another one of the numerous songs on the album in which the tune seems to just blend in with the environment and create a mood for the listener. The beginning and end are overt, as if they're intentionally trying to break you in and out, but the rest of the song, with mostly soft percussion and cuddly synths, just provides the backdrop.

Finally, I find myself talking about "Radio", which is an excellent song to end the album. It slowly fades in and slowly fades out, giving off that impression of denouement for the album's story and cooling down for the listener. The general theme of the song is loneliness and the desire to put a message out there that may mean something to someone, someday. One is meant to feel hope, even after the story ends. This song is different from the others I've mentioned, but it does the job that it's supposed to do, which is to bring you out of the album and back into your normal day.

Obviously, I've gone into way more detail about this album than I have about a number of other albums. But I feel like there's just been that much to say. VNV tends to create a lot of depth in their albums, and it's hard not to get carried away at times. That's not to say that I think other bands don't make substantial music, but it's just that VNV Nation creates the kind of music that almost forces out an opinion from the listener. While others can just sit back and enjoy a lot of other artists, VNV finds a way to get people talking.

Covenant - Northern Light

As we all know, Covenant is fantastic. That being said, I want to share my opinion on the album that got me really into the band. Although I had enjoyed songs such as "Replicant", "Like Tears in Rain", and "Go Film" before, Northern Light is what really put them over the top for me.

 

(Property of Metropolis, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

[Tracks] - [Time]

1. Monochrome - 5:00

2. Call the Ships to Port - 4:56

3. Bullet - 5:02

4. Invisible & Silent - 4:38

5. Prometheus - 5:40

6. We Stand Alone - 5:29

7. Rising Sun - 6:00

8. Winter Comes - 4:56

9. We Want Revolution - 4:44

10. Scared - 6:59

11. Atlas - 5:15

This is definitely more polished and futurepoppish than earlier releases, such as Dreams of a Cryotank and Europa, which both had more of an older school EBM sound. Still, this album is a beautiful listen, with a constant feel in most songs of running beats that you feel like you're always a step behind and are striving to catch up with. "Monochrome" and "Call the Ships to Port" are both excellent examples of this.

"Monochrome" feels kind of like a warmup track to "Call the Ships to Port". You start out with scratchy noise and what almost sounds like a boat coming in. Then, the song puts you through a dynamic stretching regimen of constant fast bell tolls and lyrics that seem to be intentionally chasing the beat. The opening song here brings you in and warms you up in an incredibly precise manner.

As for "Call the Ships to Port", I'm not quite sure what I can say about it that any fan of futurepop in the past ten years hasn't said about it. I'd be willing to argue with anyone that it's their best song, period, at least through Skyshaper. (I haven't had the chance to get a good listen to Modern Ruin, although it's been out for two years now. So, there could be something on there that might change my mind.) It has everything. Its lyrical content has life lessons. Its beat is absurdly danceable. The melody has beautiful nuances, such as the faded double pings throughout the verses and the slightest hint of texture in the ending singing of the chorus. There are tons of remixes for it. I really don't know what anyone else could ask for.

"Bullet" changes the pace of the album from a feeling of movement and chase to more of a subdued explanation of the subtleties and meanings of time as well as his needs and feelings as a human being. It's definitely different from "Call the Ships to Port", and it's not the kind of thing I'd want to try to dance to at the club, but it's enjoyable listening music. Also, the music video rocks.

If you're more in the mood for something that booms a bit more, although it's a bit chirpy, too, I recommend "We Stand Alone". That song is practically designed for dancing, stompy style. This song doesn't make you feel like you're on a treadmill like "Monochrome" and "Call the Ships to Port", but you feel more juiced up while staying in place. As a matter of fact, the song is about the loneliness of watching the world around him.

This whole album is full of more modern futurepop goodness that you're more used to from Covenant. This feels like where they turned the corner from the harsher EBM, but it's not tinny. I would definitely recommend this to anyone wanting to get into futurepop. 

Ayria - Debris

Jennifer Parkin's Ayria has been around for almost ten years now. She has a new album, Plastic Makes Perfect, that's been mastered already and is just about ready for a release announcement. But I figured I'd talk about her roots, the album that got things started after leaving Epsilon Minus. It doesn't hurt that Debris is also my favorite album of hers (not to say things have gone downhill from there).

(Property of Alfa Matrix, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

Although Ayria's music has always had cyber influences, Debris has the most. It sounds the grittiest and most raw of her albums, and that's why I like it. While her other albums are smoother and sound more like prototypical futurepop, Debris has more synthpop and EBM touches to it. I could kind of get lost in this album, focusing on the subtleties more than I could with her subsequent releases. My favorite songs from this album are "DOS", "Red Shift", "Substance" and "Kiss Me Goodnight as I'm Falling Asleep".

I can't think of any better way to open her album than with "DOS". There is little to no context to wade through in this song, not unlike the rest of Debris. The song is about the musician being unable to help out others because she still has her own demons to fight and has gained tolerance and indifference for seeing others suffer. This fight with her demons is a theme throughout the album, showing up in multiple tracks. As for the tune, it's very catchy and danceable, like most of Ayria's music. It kind of not only sets the tone for the album, but for her career, in my opinion.

"Red Shift" is easily my favorite track on the album and my favorite song of hers, outright. The deep, somewhat otherworldly beat that sets the background to her science and science fiction-laden lyrics makes the listener want to float around on the club floor. The vibrations and scratches within the song add a lot to the texture, making the song have depth. If you can only listen to one song on this album, this is the song I'd recommend.

In regard to "Substance", Ayria puts out a considerably more angry beat in the beginning than the other two songs I mentioned a feeling of stomping around, but then it gets more ethereal and a little quiet, almost as if she's coming off an artificial high. As it turns out, that's exactly the kind of effect the lyrics give, too, because the song is all about the highs and lows of being on antidepressants. According to the song, she hates being on the meds, but she also knows they're what makes her not be depressed. This is definitely the kind of song to listen to while feeling introspective.

Finally, "Kiss Me Goodnight as I'm Falling Asleep" is really different from most anything I've heard from Ayria. I would say it almost sounds like darkwave (in the Claire Voyant sense, not like, say, The Crüxshadows). The lyrics are considerably more esoteric in this song, but as far as I can gather, the lyrics are about how she is an unwelcome or harmful invader in the otherwise stable life of someone else. The song gives off a depressing feel, but if you want to listen to something that seems very different from what you'd expect out of Ayria, this is your song.

All in all, I love Debris. I feel like this is Ayria at her most raw and uncensored. Her later albums have been more polished, but if you want to see raw emotion from her, this is most definitely the album you want to get.

(Addendum: Ayria has actually been around for ten years now. According to her official Facebook page, she's been at it since New Year's Day 2003. So, maybe we should start celebrating "Ayria Day" on New Year's Day, actually -- for real.)

Santa Hates You - It's Alive!

I have a slightly interesting story about how I got to listening to this album and liking it.

(Property of Trisol and Santa Hates You, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

I'm not going to lie. At first, I was incredibly skeptical. Before I started listening to this album, my only experience with Santa Hates You was watching the "Rocket Heart" music video. In what may be a severe understatement, I did not like the song or the video. To be a little more blunt, it actually turned into a running inside joke that a friend of mine and I shared. I found this bewildering, because Peter Spilles is touted as being a creative genius, and Project Pitchfork is fantastic.

So, a few days ago, I was looking around for some new music to listen to again, and I came across people talking about how great Santa Hates You's It's Alive! was. Needless to say, although I heard glowing reviews, I couldn't help but to still be unconvinced. I looked around for a way to listen to the album before committing any resources to it, because I had no reason to believe I'd enjoy this album, considering my previous experiences. But, in what may be a textbook example of what I talked about in my post about music evaluation, I came across Santa Hates You's official MySpace page and was pleasantly gobsmacked. The entire album is on there for streaming with every song in full. I listened to the whole album a couple of times on there, and I found myself absolutely wanting to buy their album (and doing so).

This album was chock full of substance, and I felt like every song had a fulfilling element to it. Of course, there was still a lot of the "goth-industrial cheese" that I expected, but my experience with this was as far removed from my experience with the "Rocket Heart" video as it could be. My favorite songs from this album were "Independence", "Scum", "How to Create a Monster", and "Skeletal Parade".

"Independence", "Scum", and "How to Create a Monster" feel related to one another with a general theme of fighting against a status quo of evil and despair. "Independence" feels like the anthem, "Scum" is the battle cry, and "How to Create a Monster" is a public service announcement.

In "Independence", Jinxy and Peter pump you up, making a stand in regard to having the right to be free from a world that chooses not to prescribe to a progressive point of view. They don't want to be part of, as they call it, a "killing machine". There aren't tons of lyrics in this song, but the point is clear. The tapping-tapping-tapping-booming percussion methods used in the background really serve to bring about the opening act mood of the song, too. As such, this is a perfect lead-in to "Scum".

"Scum" is the crown jewel of this album. (If you want to see the music video for this song, go here.) This is truly a powerful song that shows just how wonderful of an activist influence musicians can be. "Scum" is certainly not a song for those with sensitive sensibilities, but it gets the point across. The beat is sinister and angry, and the lyrics explain in full that the musicians feel like it's all over for people who want to oppress others, particularly for personal gain and purported religiosity and morality.

"How to Create a Monster" is all about power and how the quest for it creates corruption and evil. There is plenty of imagery of the immorally ambitious person creating justifications to himself or herself about heinous acts and oppression. Meshed with this is the intervention-like tone of the chorus, explaining to this hypothetical power-hungry person that swallowing all this power will turn him or her into a monster. At the end of the song, the idea comes across that no matter what the recklessly ambitious person tends to believe, in the end, the only evil who really needs to be vanquished is that person, himself or herself.

I like "Skeletal Parade" for different reasons than I like the other three. The tune is exceptionally catchy, and it makes a really interesting idea for the afterlife (assuming I'm not way off in regard to my interpretation). When someone dies, he or she goes to the moon and joins a parade of skeletons. It's a little off the wall, but it almost sounds like a dark mix of a children's song. If you didn't pay too much attention to the lyrics, you'd almost think the song was trying to come across the same way as "Bungalow Bill" for The Beatles. This song is oddly fun.

All in all, it's difficult to not enjoy this album. My opinion of Santa Hates You definitely changed after listening to It's Alive!, and I think this is a perfect case for making sure people are adequately informed to make decisions on music purchases. I can safely say that I would have not even considered buying this album had I not been able to hear the full songs, first.

The Luna Sequence - They Follow You Home

I know that not everyone is the biggest fan of albums of pure instrumentals, but for those of you who like that sort of thing, I have a treat for you. Do you want to hear music that sounds like it came from top-notch action title video game soundtrack (but it didn't, and this artist would probably take to doing that kind of thing like a duck to water, given the opportunity)? If the answer is "yes," I can promise you that you will not be disappointed with this afternoon's choice of music.

(Property of The Luna Sequence, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

The Luna Sequence is a musician who does all instrumentals, and her music would be best described as having influences of electronica, punk, and metal. I mentioned her before in regard to I:Scintilla's Skin Tight, because she did one of the remixes, but I can assure you that remixing is just one of her many musical talents. She has put out five albums since she started in 2009, but in this post, I'm going to talk about my favorite album of the bunch, They Follow You Home.

One thing I like about all the songs on this album is that they all incite some sense of urgency or action within them. Every time I listen to any of these songs, particularly "I Eat Your Heart", "The Path to Abandonment", and "The Collective Voice", I feel like I'm being called to stand up and do something or go somewhere, even if there are no words to convey that message. This isn't an album if you want to kick back and chill out; this is something you listen to when you want to drum up some motivation.

At number two in the track order, "The Famine" feels like the real warm-up song for me, where I feel like I'm on the first leg of the journey that The Luna Sequence is leading me on. It almost sounds like a hard remix of what you'd expect for world music in an RPG or it could easily be background music for a first level in a beat-'em-up. (I really can't help but to use so many video game references when referring to this album or any of The Luna Sequence's music, because every album feels very cohesive and it's like each one leads you on a quest. There are no words, so you have to use your imagination to fill in the gaps that your emotions leave. For me, the easiest way to materialize my feelings is to compare them to the first thing I think about every time I have a listen: gaming.)

"Lure the Vultures" feels like I'm conducting a surprise raid in the middle of the night. What sounds like the faraway chants of a choir at the beginning and the soft background melody in the middle really added to the atmosphere that I interpreted as being surrounded by night. The minor scratchiness and the electronic bass all over the forefront of the song though gives me the feeling that this night is definitely not meant to be serene.

Without a doubt, "The Path to Abandonment" is my favorite song by The Luna Sequence, period. I sense this overall feeling of revenge throughout the song, almost as if this is meant to be played in the background when a main character is fighting a decisive battle against an enemy who took someone dear from the protagonist. The bit from about 3:04 to 3:36 seems to be my biggest evidence for how I feel, because I can almost picture someone in pain, remembering everything that happened and being resolute in making someone pay.

The other song I want to mention in particular is "The Collective Voice", because that song feels like the true climax of the album. If "The Famine" is just breaking out into the world, then "The Collective Voice" is the final battle (and "Ocean Under Light" is kind of like the ending). The drums really bring the sense of decisiveness and finality to the song, but the tune gives a sense of openness, too. It's like regardless of whatever the struggle the listener who has undertaken this quest has had to endure, that person is not alone.

Obviously, a lot of what I felt was personal to me, and people who listen to this album (or any of The Luna Sequence's albums, for that matter) will have their own feelings and thoughts to bring to the table. But what matters is this is the kind of music that intentionally incites those thoughts and sparks the creativity of imagination. This is the kind of music that cuts through your defenses and simply makes you feel. It's not as important what you feel as much as it is that the winds of emotion sweep in at full force.

Flesh Field - Strain

So, I only just found out about an awesome band that's now broken up and not doing anything anymore. This band is Flesh Field, an industrial/aggrotech project headed by Ian Ross. The last finished album was Strain, which was released in 2004. The female vocals on this album were done by Wendy Yanko, who was new to this album. (The previous albums had their female vocals sung by Rian Miller.)

(Property of Metropolis Records, used under Fair Use for direct, substantial commentary on product)

Most songs begin with an orchestral bit that transitions to fast, hard, but not necessarily harsh electro-industrial melody. The symphonic sounds tend to be scattered throughout some of the songs, too. Every song tends to have that sense of urgency, too, like the listener is supposed to be intentionally active. Although all the songs are enjoyable for different reasons, the songs for which I felt the most affinity were "The Eucharist", "Seethe", "Amoeba", and "The Collapse".

"The Eucharist" appears to be a commentary on religion, particularly Christianity. My interpretation of this is that people will be smothered by their own religion if they don't think critically about it and unquestioningly submit to it. The sounds are particularly sinister with the slow, deep beat (somewhat resembling a heartbeat, if you think about it) in the back. There's a fair bit of mixing of noise with melody that makes this song really interesting to listen to.

"Seethe" begins with a choir-like vocals mixed with a fast thumping rhythm. The entire song throughout has a simple message of telling an arrogant jerk that he or she no longer matters, and the mix of the thumping and buzzing in the background is appropriate to the feeling the song is trying to convey.

"Amoeba" seems considerably more depressing than the previous two songs that I mentioned. The musicians are trying to jam the "It's not you. It's me." message in every line, explaining how someone feels like he or she is causing harm to someone else by simply being in that person's life. There is a fair bit of violin in this song, which is not surprising, considering the mood.

"The Collapse" is a perfect song for club dancing, in my opinion. The lyrics show a fair bit of minimalism, merely giving an abstract sense of someone's downfall, but I'm not really giving notice to this song for its lyrical content. I'm a big fan of the overall beat and the use of percussion and synths. It's the type of song that is hard not to start dancing to when you're alone in your room with your headphones.

Overall, I really love this album. I wish I had gotten into this band sooner, but that's how it goes. Strain was the last finished album, but if you go to the band's website, you can download instrumentals for the unfinished album that was supposed to come out last year.