This review was commissioned. However, it bears no weight on the score or decision. All reviews are written from an unbiased standpoint.
While I would not say that I am a hater in regards to all things aggrotech and harsh EBM I do think that it’s a genre that had its heyday years ago and one that I no longer look back on fondly. Most of what I used to enjoy out of the aggrotech movement that was once the mover of cybergoths on the dancefloor now makes me cringe and I have no idea why or how I was into it. There are a couple of bands that I can still enjoy with relative ease but it’s a shortlist and it goes from song to song not album to album so on and so forth. And I think the main reason I find such discontent for aggrotech mainly comes down to production values; everything sounds like sludge and as if its not mixed properly as everything warps together and sounds like a non-stop noise wall with edgy screeching that’s abhorrent.
Point made, moving on to today’s subject that being Frontal Boundary. This act was part of that aggrotech movement with albums spanning between 2012 and 2013 titled Electronic Warfare and Electronic Warfare V2. They remained silent for a little while until they came back into 2021 with The Fall which received some fanfare. Long story short Re:Mission Entertainment heard about them and swallowed them into their coven and Shutting Down has been released to the world and I’ve mixed opinions on the album.
Resurrect Me kicks off the album and is going to be an immediate throwback to anyone who still loves music from aggrotech’s bygone era but I also believe that doubters of the genre will find something to enjoy here. The clean vocals aren’t anything to rave about but that’s nothing new in the industrial scene. Typical aggrotech screeches take up the chorus but paired with the harsh techno and trance laden beat this serves as a great track that you can stomp to or throw your fist in the air to or aggressively wash dishes to – whatever you wanna do. Also, production is there. Actual production. So good on Frontal Boundary for that.
My opinion turns negative with the next song on the roster that being Das Blut Infiziert. The samples within made me smile as I haven’t heard such uses in a bit of time like this but the vocals – the underwater demon screaming is the best way I can describe it – just doesn’t do it for me and the beat isn’t as catchy and I do believe that the samples can be overwhelming at some points. It’s not abysmal but it certainly isn’t good.
To make a long drawn out point short, I’ll say now that I have similar opinions on the vocals on most of the songs on the album such as ‘Without a Chance’, ‘Lied to Me’, ‘Shutting Down’, and ‘Eradicate’.
What’s depressing about this is that Frontal Boundary can create a decent beat that makes me want to boogie or something that can at least be played during sessions at the gym such as on Mental Illusion (Lebensmüde). It has a pretty stompy EBM beat that I enjoy but every time the vocals come out to play I have the desire to change or skip the song before falling into the same trap over and over again.
Point is proven on the track ‘Forgotten’ which features vocals from HER OWN WORLD. The vocals aren’t clean but are digitally altered to give the perception of robotic vox. Regardless, this is twice as good as what I’m given from Frontal Boundary’s original chords. His gritty screeching does make an appearance on the track and even does duets with HER OWN WORLD and that knocks a few points off. But still. It’s there and enjoyable.
While I wouldn’t say this album is a relic it definitely shows its influence on its sleeves. If aggrotech is your jam you’ll likely fall in love with this album and have it on repeat as you headbang your neon tubes straight off your head. I’d love to see Frontal Boundary have more guest vocalists on the album and stray away from what I’d consider typical and expected aggrotech vox and find something new and unique. Right now the identity is buried. Production is there and the beats aren’t half bad, but the vocals need a major reworking.
Frontal Boundary does have an upcoming single with Unter Null coming soon that I am highly anticipating (as are so many others, I’m sure) so we’ll see how that stacks up. For now, however, Shutting Down has shut me down.
