[cYbEr.dYnE] - [cYbEr.dYnE]

Using Terminator 2 as inspiration for a band name may not, on paper seem like the most original thing in Industrial to do. Nor does subsequently labelling yourselves as "Cyber" themed Electro-Industrial.

Fortunately, UK based [cYbEr.dYnE] have enough going for them to override the above stereotype. The UK Industrial scene is currently going under one hell of a revival, and the last two years alone have seen over a Dozen excellent bands break through and get some fantastic reviews and great airtime.

Formed in 2010, Niall, Steven and Adam have been working like Robots (ironically) to get this demo out, and I am as surprised as anyone to hear the quality of it.

The first track we hear is "The Shell" , which without any doubt is the best choice for opener. It starts off with a sample (as most Industrial songs feature these days), and builds up to some vocals that fall somewhere between 19ninetynine and Cease2xist. The immediate thing I noticed that makes [cYbEr.dYnE] is the sound that flows throughout the release - think Chipset, but with Aggression and Purpose.

Actually making your music sound like it fits in the world of Terminator is an accomplishment - "Shell" isn't anything short of genial, and I expect to hear this on dancefloors by years end.

Although the term "Electro-Industrial" is generic, and can cover anything from :wumpscut: to Skinny Puppy (depending on who you ask), I can't really think of anything better to label [cYbEr.dYnE] as. This is Industrial meets Hardcore meets Cyberpunk meets Dark Electro meets Death Robot (There are at least 4 bands I know of that use this term to describe their sound, and it seems to have been accepted by fans).

"Nova" is a very strong second track, and if the Demo continues in this vein, I expect big, big movement from labels and promoters towards these guys. Not many artists veer from Punk-style Abrasiveness to clean melodic vocals, and although I think I can hear the slighest hint of Autotune, it's subtle enough to give this the futuristic sound required to get away with the choice of project name.

The only weakness here is the final track, a cover of "Buried alive by Love", from Emo/Gothic act "HIM". There is no way I can describe my thoughts on covering this act without causing mass offence, so I'll sum that one up in a single word.

Piss. To be fair though, the cover isn't bad.

All in All, an excellent introduction to a novel and talented act. May 12 2011