Nano Infect - Evil Supreme

Nano Infect always had a little more of the Black Metal spirit than the average Dark Electro act, and with the album cover and title here, it's not difficult to form an expectation before starting any of the music.
SynthetiC seems more hell-bent than before on unleashing true audial mayhem, and with a host of remixers ranging from the famous to the upcoming, this release is a platform between previous album "Circuitry of Blades" and upcoming release "Scars of Denial".

"Evil Supreme (Sex & Violet), despite the curious title, is a ballpark away from previous works - it seems a a little glitchier than expected, but the hallmarks of the genre (pounding bass, distortion en masse, and samples galore) are ever-present. The track takes a while to build up to it's apex, and as openers go, isn't as warm and immediate as I'd hope for.

"I Am The Devil" is exactly where I want Nano Infect to be - keyboards that echo "Tubular Bells" meets "Love Breeds Suicide", a typically satanic sample, and a drum machine used to capacity. A tad repetitive, but for a genre that buries its roots firmly with Trance and Techno, we can't expect too much.

"Jesus is Dead" is less repetitive than the others, and for the first time on the EP, there's no argument about the position of Nano Infect. This is exactly the kind of textbook hostility that made 'Circuitry' so good, and SynthetiCs vocals on this are repulsive and deep as you can really get with any form of Industrial.

The final track on the 'A' side is the most intriguing - a re-release of classic track "Fall Asleep" (Version 2), and it's been given the newer, more eerie treatment - if Industrial was played on the soundtrack to "The Exorcist", I hazard it'd sound like this.

For the Remix side of the release, i'll highlight the more accessible moments. The Beati Mortui remix is a lot better than anticipated, and my earlier comments about this act becoming finer seem to be accurate - "Fall Asleep" is a great track to mix and this is very danceable - Maria's vocals add a lovely touch to a scene that's very dominated by the male gender.

Technolorgy give "Jesus Is Dead" a more abrasive sound, often leaving the vocals bare, with true techno-inspired beats supplying the rhythm, however Traumatize's attempt at the song seems to stick with me a lot easier - it's truly incredible to see an act I previously didn't enjoy putting out such a great track.

"I Am The Devil" is remixed firstly by Acylum, and then by "6Aborted6Fetus6" vs "W.E.B". - the former is a Greek electro-industrial project that's just released their debut release. W.E.B is a metal project by the same performer. The remix is a good cross between both styles, and leaves some great Guitar work in it's fiery trail.

Detroit Diesel lay into "Evil Supreme", and as most of you now know, they're an act that don't do anything by halves - this remix matches the recent theme of "Coup D'Etat", and lays down a more traditional club feel, turning the mix into a true anthem.

Fellow Greek act Red-Line offer another remix of "Jesus Is Dead", and this one is much different to the others (as all remixes SHOULD be). - It starts with a Gregorian-esque choir sample (I do love those), and the seeming "Exorcist" theme is reinforced nicely, before a great synth melody kicks in.

The surprise remix on this album has to be the inclusion of Tactical Module. This act is the hardwork of a talented young man from England, performing an unusual cross between Digital Hardcore, Industrial Metal, and Dark Electro. His remix of "Sex & Violet" is notable for the seriously heavy Guitar work, which actually reminded me of Death Metal at times. He loops the song into a barricade of heavily compressed drumwork, and has managed to somehow turn this into a pure Metal song.

The remixers that haven't gotten a mention are Acylum, High Level Static, Detuned Destruction, Terrorfrequenz, and an unfamiliar act called Chamaeleon. This mixes are all fine and enjoyable, but just didn't give me as much to write about.

As a stopgap between albums, this EP is a good release - the slow buildup of the first tracks didn't appeal at first, but they work nicely after a few listens. As an introduction to new acts, the remixes on here do a very, very good job indeed.

Look out for this one. Apr 24 2012