MENTICIDE N.M.E. ALBUM SSC, PLAYGROUND RELEASE: MAY 30, 2007 REVIEW: AUGUST 4, 2007

Do you like your EBM hard, intensive and explosive? Then you might enjoy Swedish newcomers Menticide, with ex-Dupont front man Johan Damm growling his way into my speakers. Together with Christiaan Riemslag he makes three minute long, furious EBM songs with fast bass lines. They are no masters of song writing, but it works well in a club.

At the recent Arvika Festival, Menticide was guested by Pouppée Fabrikk's Henrik Björkk on stage, and some tracks on this album do have a distinctly Pouppée-esque feeling to them, especially the opening number "Search and Destroy" which is a pretty blatant ripoff of "Betrayal". This might be because of Christian though, who is also a member of CAP, where the other Pouppée-man Leif Holm is also a member.

To sum this up, it's a competent dance floor album, but stronger songs will be needed to stand out.

JOHAN CARLSSON