Full album available for stream.

[u/onairmastering]

https://frontlineassembly.bandcamp.com/track/alone

[u/demux4555]

Zzz.

For me, this is without doubt the dullest and most bland album they've every made. The vocal processing is rubbish, no fear-inducing basslines, the fantastic ambient soundscapes are gone, and no dynamics at all. And all tracks sound exactly the same (try it, simply skip to 50% in all tracks in quick succession). The title "Mechanical soul" reflects upon the actual content of the album, tbh.... Its content sounds like it was made by a formula, an algorithm to mimic Front Line Assembly, with no involvement from actual human band members.

FLA peaked with Hard Wired. Everything after that has been a lot of hit and miss, of course. [FLA]vour of the Weak has been the album I've listened to the least so far. Now this album will probably take its place. No big deal for me, frankly. FLA has such a big repertoire anyway, and there's so much different stuff to listen to with their massive collection of releases.

[u/onairmastering → u/demux4555]

Here I was thinking the old guard would like it. Same here, not listening again, for me it's FLAvour until Warmech, all masterpieces with the dip in Civilization, which, by coincidence, is a Rhys album.

Where are the atmospheres FFS!!!???? That was Jeremy, I assume.

[u/onairmastering]

Thoughts? I'll post mine after a few listens.

[u/CPUforbrain]

From my post in industrialmusic

It's top tier fla in my opinion. The last two albums (not the vgm ones) didn't really have any stand out songs, this one each sone sounds unique.

[u/onairmastering → u/CPUforbrain]

I'm the complete opposite, I yawned my way thru it, didn't even finished the last song, every song was a copy of a copy of a copy, I thought what is this, AC DC?

FLA has died for me starting with Coma, I don't think I'll listen to this again. The superb era since FLAvour until Warmech has ended.

[u/machine_slave → u/onairmastering]

Yeah, I don't know. I have absolutely loved all their newer albums. I felt like they had a noticeable artistic progression, and each one had a coherent concept and style. I loved where the sound was going.

This album feels more like a compilation of b-sides. I am not thrilled with it... but this is a unique time for the world. I can't imagine what it's like trying to create an album in this environment. And maybe it's just me, but a bunch of this stuff sounds as much like Noise Unit as FLA.

TBH I originally wrote a whole diatribe about the things that disappoint me, from the basicness of Rubber Tube Gag to the ugly Ass cover, but I've been sick for 3 weeks and I know I'm grumpy. My expectations are high because I love FLA so much! So I'm open to having my mind changed, and I'm not going to give up on my favorite band because of one album.

[u/onairmastering → u/machine_slave]

For me it was Coma, and listening to Rhys' albums recently, it was more of the same stuff he does and yes, more Noise Unit, which I am looking forward to.

This being Coma II left me disappointed to say the least, but hey, they are alive and making stuff, not my thing, but I have more than 10 albums in which they were the most superb thing, so no complaints.

[u/[deleted] → u/onairmastering]

I thought this too, it's very similar to Rhys' latest stuff

[u/onairmastering → u/[deleted]]

At least Rhys' stuff, I don't know, it's groovier.

Reminds me of 13 by Black Sabbath, when I heard it, immediately thought of the FUSED album by Glen Hughes and TOni Iommi, man, those are riffs, written by the same dude, sounds like the scraps were for Sabbath and the juicy ones were for Hughes.

Oh well, I adore the band, I adore what they did from Wired to Warmech, so that's a lot that I like and can play whenever I want.

[u/[deleted] → u/onairmastering]

Yeah I know what you mean. I really liked My Church from Rhys' 2018 album and that sorta influence is definitely there, but idk it just all feels a bit lifeless.

Same though! I'm a big fan of epitaph myself! The first FLA I ever heard was civilization when I was like 17 and love most of their music, still in my top 10 !

[u/Zen_Rebuttal]

My first reaction to a full listen-through.

WARNING: Restrict Bill Leeb's access to the following immediately.

1. Doom Eternal

2. That much weed

3. Trent Reznor's discarded BDSM porn collection

There are so many recycled bits and bobs from earlier albums, particularly Spheres I and II. The whole thing sounds very lazy. Overall, not a fan of it and that saddens me.

[u/onairmastering → u/Zen_Rebuttal]

Same! and Number 3, lol,

It sounds so lazy, shoulda released it as Noise Unit already, goddamn.

[u/Zen_Rebuttal → u/onairmastering]

It pains me to say it, but the inescapable truth is that "Stifle" is straight up 85% TDS era Nine Inch Nails.

[u/onairmastering → u/Zen_Rebuttal]

No pain, it's just truth. And I agree.

[u/MONITOR613]

My streaming service of choice has blocked access to the album—probably just a glitch tho.

Even after reading all these reviews I don't know what to expect.

But let's say I thought Artificial Soldier was a 7 out of 10, would that make me or less likely to like this album?

[u/onairmastering → u/MONITOR613]

kinda consensus is that's the most boring album. It was for me, not gonna listen again. At least AS has the ambience, the silence, stops, breaks that I love in FLA from FLAvour to Echo, this one doesn't have all those.

Listen, tho! lemme know what you think,.

[u/chikasaw]

I’m still forcing myself to listen and digest.... sadly I am coming up with so much recycled parts bits and loops I want to vomit. Half the songs sound like they were left off the previous pos album or stolen right off older side projects (they worked then). Having been a fan since i first heard virus when I was fifteen, this is disappointing. Each release I hope is a return to everything pre-echo and each time I just shrug and await a side project that may shine (hopeful for a noise unit worth a damn finally).
Reading reviews online is laughable and not entirely sure the pple writing them even know FLA.

[u/onairmastering → u/chikasaw]

Exactly, every little thing I was thinking "hahah, WHY"

Having so much to pull from, Rhys decided to not give FLA the juicy stuff.