Portion Control - Violently Alive

Title: Violently Alive
Artist: Portion Control
Genre: EBM
Release Date: April 9th, 2010
Label: Sigsaly Transmissions



Album Review

PORTION CONTROL is probably one of the most underrated acts of the electronic scene, at least in terms of record sales and public awareness. PORTION CONTROL’s pioneering early works have always been appreciated by fellow synth masters from NINE INCH NAILS to SKINNY PUPPY to THE ORBITAL, and DEPECHE MODE even booked the band as opener for their 1984 “Some Great Reward” tour.

In fact there have been two incarnations of PORTION CONTROL. The first one was founded in London in 1980 as a trio with Dean Piavani, John Whybrew and Ian Sharp and spawned ground-breaking indie singles like ‘Go Talk’ (1984) and ‘The Great Divide’ (1985) and seven studio albums including ‘I Staggered Mentally’ from 1983, which is still frequently regarded as one of the templates for the Electronic Body Music genre. In fact raw electronics with straight beats and John Whybrew’s rough voice are some of PORTION CONTROL’s trademarks - and stylistic elements which brought global fame to bands like FRONT 242 or NITZER EBB. In 1987 PORTION CONTROL broke up, some members continued under the moniker SOLAR ENEMY for a while, but it wasn’t before 2004 until Piavani and Whybrew worked together again under the flag of PORTION CONTROL.

‘Violently Alive’ is the fourth full-length album by PORTION CONTROL since their reunion in 2002. Their second incarnation has yielded lots of different releases though, from the software project ‘Code 11’ to compilation and live albums to 7” singles and EPs. While most releases were released completely independently - and often as free downloads - ‘Violently Alive’ is released on the US record label Sigsaly Transmissions. The first few tracks of ‘Violently Alive’ show that PORTION CONTROL 2010 is more focussed and perhaps also more accessible than ever. That doesn’t mean at all that Whybrew and Piavini lost their edge for sake of a commercial sound.

The rawness, the dark soundscapes and the monotonous beats are still all in their right places, as well as Whybrew’s commanding vocals. If anything, ‘Violently Alive’ is experimental but yet accessible and danceable, if this makes sense. Songs like ‘Relapse’ or ‘Amnesia’ are still able to excite a dance-floor when they are well-placed in a DJ set. But PORTION CONTROL also shows off its more experimental side on this album with tracks like ‘Blood Loss’, the ethereal ‘Stealth’ or the psychedelic ‘Skull Kid’. But my favourite is the dark mid-tempo stomper ‘Guided by Fear’, a pretty intense and straightforward track which just grabs you! For those who prefer the more up-tempo and danceable side of EBM there are more tracks in this department like ‘Extraction’, ‘Swollen’, ‘Rise’ or the semi-Industrial Metal of ‘Waste’.

A great and addictive album from the repetitive beats of the opener ‘Icon’ to the noisy soundscapes of the last track, ‘You Hold Me Down’. The first incarnation of PORTION CONTROL was a band with a big legacy and which taught quite a few lessons to (back then) young bands like FRONT 242 or FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY. With ‘Violently Alive’ the second incarnation of PORTION CONTROL proves that they didn’t forget the lessons they once taught themselves. Top!


Tracklist

01 Icon
02 Relapse
03 Skull Kid
04 Amnesia
05 Blood Loss
06 Addiction Rising
07 Rise
08 Waste
09 Guided By Fear
10 Extraction
11 Stealth
12 Swollen
13 You Hold Me Down


Line-up

Dean Piavani
John Whybrew


Website

http://www.portion-control.net/ / http://www.myspace.com/porcon


Cover Picture




Rating

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


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