NECRO FACILITY WINTERMUTE ALBUM PROGRESS PRODUCTIONS RELEASE: MAY 13, 2011 REVIEW: MAY 4, 2011

Four years in the making, “Wintermute” is for Necro Facility what “Tactical Neural Implant” was for Front Line Assembly 20 years ago. It’s a complete game changer for the band that breaks the set boundaries within the industrial genre. No longer will people call Necro Facility a Skinny Puppy soundalike. “Wintermute” is pure Necro Facility.

This is industrial pop, with heavy beats, wobbling synthesizers, whispered and screamed vocals mixed up with guitar, strings, and tingling pop melodies. The tone was set with the track “Do You Feel the Same”, which first came out on the Progress Production compilation “5 years of Progress 2004-2009” in 2009. This track marked the first sign of change for the band, a trend which they have continued on this album, blending their sound with other styles like EBM, breakbeat, electronica and radio rock.

In short, Oscar Holter and Henrik Bäckström have created a masterpiece, where almost every song is a potential single. Oscar’s production is spotless - as expected; he’s working full time as a producer these days - and Henrik’s vocals have never been better. Both have really pushed themselves here, and it shows. There are so many excellent tracks here that I can hardly pick a favourite. Maybe “Cuts” and “Supposed”, if someone put a gun to my head.

It’s going to be interesting to see what the fans think of all this, as the sound is a lot more commercial. I don't really have a problem with this (I encourage mixing genres), but I can imagine some sort of backlash. They have even included a ballad. The label had to fight the band to make them include the track “All That You Take”, and it seems it was the right move. It starts off softly with piano and drums, and then builds slowly, adding layer after layer. It ends a great album with style.

JOHAN CARLSSON