Formalin - Bodyminding

Artist: Formalin
Title: Bodyminding
Genre: Electro / Industrial
Date: 29th October 2010
Label: Out of Line



Album Review

"Berlin City Industrial" - that's how FORMALIN, founded in 2005, describes its music. What ever that means, FORMALIN manages to avoid the trap many newcomer harsh electro and EBM bands fall into: It does not attempt to copy the recipe of the current dance floor filler acts; instead, it provides a hybrid of old and new, thus appealing many audiences.

FORMALIN's recently released debut album 'Bodyminding' contains no obvious flops or "B-side" pieces to fill up the 12-track album - in fact, the sound is excellent overall, and each track is equally polished to perfection. Influences from old-school legends such as SKINNY PUPPY and DIVE are effortlessly mixed with rhythmic noise elements and modern electro sounds.

However, there is no big surprises or ultimate highlights on the menu, either, making the listening experience slightly dull - an impression that is further increased by virtually all tracks being mid-tempo, much slower than most of the dance floor oriented harsh EBM, for instance. Another peeve is that, at times, phrasing sounds slightly coerced, as if the vocalist was trying to imitate for instance Nivek Ogre.

Nevertheless, 'Bodyminding' makes an unusually strong debut and a must-have for those industrial and EBM fans who are getting bored with the ubiquitous SUICIDE COMMANDO / HOCICO /GRENDEL clones. Old-school EBM lovers as well as those more into harsher, distorted beats might took a liking to it as well.


Tracklist

01. Fallout - 3:40
02. Yuppiescum - 4:03
03. My Fetish - 4:42
04. Beliefmaker - 4:20
05. Deliverance - 5:26
06. This Isn’t Love - 4:37
07. Sezyr - 3:29
08. Breath Control - 3:49
09. Addicted - 3:24
10. Resistance - 5:27
11. Körperfabrik - 4:35
12. Aftermath - 3:17


Line-up

Thomas 'Tominous' Liebchen - vocals, composition
Gabor Poszt - drums, production


Website

http://www.myspace.com/formalin


Cover Picture




Rating

Sound: 9
Music: 8
Extras: -
Total: 8.5 / 10


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