'Into Exile'
Tactical Module may be
a relatively new name in the industrial scene, but that hasn't meant
they've taken their time in crafting a back catalogue. Already with a
handful of EP's to his name, Michael Davies has pushed his ideas from
the word go and as a result, each outing has seen the TM sound grow
stronger and stronger. The band's début, 'World Through My Sight'
was a metal infused take on industrial that showed a lot of promise
from the act, but by the time of the band's free EP 'Resurrection'
the formula was definitely becoming solidified. Fast-forward only a
few months and the band's sophomore outing 'Into Exile' shows a big
leap forward in quality and execution.
The album blends the
metal elements with a a more well-rounded harsh ebm style and
incorporates ambient and even dubstep elements throughout that will
appeal to fans of the likes of Cubanate, System:FX and Be My Enemy.
Tracks like 'Outer City Limits', 'Cypher 2.0', 'Downpour' and
'Hellfire' carry on the more overtly metal guitars, while the likes
of 'Awaken', 'Into Exile', and 'Breathless' are purer dance
floor-orientated offerings. The end result is a nice balance between
club-friendly songs and ones that are begging to be played live.
The bonus remixes
extend the life of the tracks nicely, but it's the contribution from Defeat
that shows just how much more dance potential is locked up in the
tracks. While the Ruinizer remix of 'Awaken' unleashes the sheer
brutality locked away within.
For the most part the
album is nicely mixed and sounds pretty well-balanced with the synths
and guitars avoiding that trap of getting too-entangled with each
other. The only downside is in the vocals which, despite their
refreshingly punky style, sometimes sound a little out-of-keeping
with the rest of the mix, and could do with a little more variation
in the effects used on them.
At the end of the day
this is a very solid release that shows a lot of growth in the right
kind of directions for Davies. It's not quite there yet, but 'Into
Exile' shows that Tactical Module is living up to its potential, and
that Davies is aiming high and continuing to constantly evolve his
musical approach. This should definitely have people taking notice.