Review by Supercoolnothing

In a year full of reunions and comebacks in the world of industrial, one of the most exciting releases comes from a relative newcomer to the game--Cyanotic. Weened on the Wax Trax! bands of the 80's as well as the coldwave/electronic rock of the 90's, Cyanotic gained a fair amount of attention with their initial release Mutual Bonding Through Violation. Many positive magazine reviews and brisk sales of the EP followed, and now the long-awaited follow-up Transhuman threatens to put the band definitively on the map as one of the creative bright spots in a genre packed with derivative clones.

Sonically, Cyanotic brings a lot to the table--mixing elements of electro, drum n' bass, EBM and metal to achieve their unique blend of audio mayhem. Old and new school fans alike should find plenty to capture their interest, whether you enjoy grooving to dancefloor beats of 80's Front 242, rocking out to Ministry's Psalm 69 riffage in the 90's or contemplating the wild experimentation of the radical IDM bands of the new millennium. One thing that can be said for Cyanotic is that they are never boring and repetitive. Every songs warrants repeated listenings to appreciate unearth the layers of programming of which the songs are constructed.

Song by song, here's how Transhuman breaks down:

Frequency In Cycles: A foreboding intro with cacophonous beats and disturbing samples. It does an admirable job of whetting your palate for the chaos to come.

Order Out of Chaos: The drum n' bass breakbeats initially cause you to question exactly what kind of album you are listening to--until the synth bassline kicks in--and then the "take that motherfucker!" sample launches the song into a blistering auditory assault. Dramatic pauses and glitching make this a fun track to listen to.

Insurgence: Initially, it reminded me of "Thieves" by Ministry--which is definitely a good thing. An uber-aggressive track loaded with political vitriol, spewing bile over the dangerously extreme conservative climate our country finds itself in today. There are some very nice relevant samples underscoring the smart lyrics in this song, especially at the very end. This is one of those songs that demands you crank it up to "11" in hopes of pissing off your Republican neighbors.

Transhuman: It begins with a moody, atmospheric, sonar-like synthline that really grabs your attention right away. Eventually it morphs into a dense, lumbering beast composed of thickly-layered programming and guitarwork. From a musical standpoint, one of the best tracks on the record. Get some headphones on to really appreciate this one.

Deface: Lace up your combat boots and stomp away while reveling in this anti-fashion anthem (whose irony will be lost on the Hot Topic set). The drum programming is the definite highlight of this song, which is fortunate as that happens to be the key element to every good dance track. Even though it also appeared Mutual Bonding Through Violation disc, it's still my favorite song of the bunch.

Axiom: An uncharacteristically calm and quieter track. Personally, I'm still not sure what to make of it, as the intention initially is to communicate a sense of menace or unease. Unfortunately, I don't really think this particular song achieved the vibe it was aiming for. (The percussion is excellent, however).

Suspension of Disbelief: This is another tune which graduated from the MBTV EP. Although it is a decent song, it was never one of my absolute favorites. However, now that the track has had the benefit of some reworking and extra-production tweaking by the Cracknation crew, my appreciate for this tune has grown. This is a lot more "punch" thanks to the higher quality production.

Actuator: A brief instrumental track showcasing the band's programming skills. Great skittering beats with a flowing ambience and interesting use of vocal samples through out.

Sensory Deprivation: This song does a good job ramping things back up to speed. Coldwave fans will definitely be pleased at the copious guitar featured on this song with lots of cool effects thrown in to boot. Lyrically it reminds me a little of 16 Volt's "Perfectly Fake" off of Skin. "Make no mistake, you're fucking fake / I enjoy your suffering."

Beta Blocker: At this point in the listening experience, I can tell Transhuman is a quality album because we have good songs all the way to the end of the disc. Most CDs you listen to these days pack all the quality stuff at the very beginning and unload all of the crappy filler on you at the end. The paean to pharmaceuticals kicks ass on every level, from the superb drum n' bass programming to the Numb-like vocal work. Outstanding track.

Antithesis: Just when you think the album is going to let up, "Antithesis" batters you senseless and declares a TKO on your brain before you even reach the last song. Another holdover from the MBTV days, it has been completely transformed with beefed up synths and jackhammer percussion. Via comparison, it makes you appreciate the quantum leap in craftsmanship between the two albums. It's scary to think how good the next one will be!

Higher States of Consciousness: More instrumental goodness, which proves to be a thankful respite and opportunity for cerebral decompression.

So what we have here, boys and girls, is one of the best industrial releases in AGES. Don't hestitate to log onto cyanotic-online.com and pick up a copy for a mere $9.95. More crushing than a T-1 in a pneumatic press, this release will have you fantasizing about Skynet taking over and nuking Clear Channel from orbit. Remember: the machines know best.