Citizen 16 - Temptation

First and foremost, before I begin, this album is not to be confused with Temptation (Single), as that was a single released alongside multiple re-touched songs from Construct. The album I'm about to review, though sharing the same name as the single that was released, serves as Citizen 16's second full length release.

After the shut down of Juggernaut Music Group, the futurepop and harsh EBM hybrid has continued forth on their musical adventures. This time, without a label, the full length album has been released independently. And, before I go into what's new, let me tell you what's the same so I don't have to rehash prior thoughts that have already been stated.

The songs Temptation, Can't Stop Time, Fashion Boy, M80 (Feat. IIOIOIOII), Lies Within Beauty, and a remix of That Night by Retrogramme all make a return on the full length. And, as stated in the past, they're all pretty good songs. And then there are the five new tracks.

Revolt is the first track on the playlist and introduces us to a bit of guitar work more keen to metal, but the electronic elements mix in some poppish material. It was a lovely mix, and definitely sounded retro but modern. The samples placed within, sounding like news clips, go very well with the overall theme of the band and the song, as well.

The lovely synth work within In The Darkness drove the song forward, and we were also served up the trademark screeching-to-singing shenanigans C16 has thoroughly implemented in their releases. Glowing Black Box was a quieter song in comparison to others, serving out more low key sounds aside drum'n'bass. I don't think the vocals flowed all too well with the music, and I think that this track would have served much better as an instrumental.

But, the complaints do not last long as Denied came in and served up another decent track. And, a little after the two minute mark, a beautiful segment featuring the screeching and singing layered upon one another with piano work and amazing synth work flows out. I really loved that portion of the song and served as a shocking moment to me.

Another slow moving song came along in the form of Condemned. I think the more rugged voice should have taken a step aside this time around, and the regular singing should have been the sole focus throughout the whole song, as it does invoke a calming ambiance throughout alongside the working rhythm. And the rough chords threw that off when they were presented.

But, those were all the new songs and now I need to pass a final judgment on the whole entire album. And, I do find it a bit hard to really come down with a verdict. On one hand, I absolutely adored the album from start to finish. But, then again, there's also the problem that six of these tracks were on the single. Which means that there wasn't all too much to be explored; perhaps a revised tracklist with fresh material would have been the better choice.

Needless to say, I had thorough fun getting through this album, and the new tracks do offer delineation in the mix. I'd say it's worth it, though I wouldn't say I enjoyed it as much as the single that came before it. It's definitely a good starting point for anyone who missed out on the single, or who has never heard C16 in the past.

The album is available for streaming and purchase on Bandcamp now, so I suggest you check it out. Dec 29 2014