Its angry... And I like it!
M. Randall | Allen Park, MI | 10/07/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Go ahead, press the "not helpful" button...
Scott Baboyian | Washington, DC | 03/03/2010
(2 out of 5 stars)
"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.
"
Minus All
E. Anderson | 10/07/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"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."
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1
