Wire Vein - Wire Vein EP

Debut releases are always interesting to check out, and I always try not to expect the same things out of a debut release that I expect from a more established act. With that in mind, I checked out Wire Vein, a one-man act out of San Diego, who recently released a self-titled debut, a 5-song EP of classic-sounding EBM songs ready for the clubs.

From the first few seconds of the opening track, "Manifest My Destiny" it's easy to hear Wire Vein's influences coming through: Front Line Assembly, Front 242, Hocico, and other classic EBM influences are present throughout the whole EP. Driving beats, arpeggiated synth lines, and distorted vocals are in full effect here, with no real surprises, just straightforward EBM.

Because of the straightforward approach, there are good and bad things about the release. Overall, EBM fans will know what to expect with Wire Vein, and any of these songs will fit right into a DJ set, and get people up and moving. And Wire Vein delivers some catchy synth leads and cyberpunk-inspired lyrics. On the down side, though, there's not enough hear to really distinguish this release from any number of other similar releases, and there's a little more repetition than I'd like to hear; for example, the synth line in "Watch Me Suffer" sounds almost identical to the one in the previous track "We Burn". For a debut release, though, this isn't a huge problem; the songs are good enough to suggest to me that Wire Vein's Rick Sandoval can create more unique songs in the future.

Electrovot's remix of the album opener and strongest track "Manifest My Destiny" is a good closing track for the EP. If you like classic EBM, Wire Vein is worth checking out. Mar 08 2012