Label: Metropolis Records
Release date: March 8, 2024
Influences: Dark Electro, Electro-/industrial
When Canadian industrial pioneer Don Gordon (NUMB, Halo_Gen) joins forces with James Mendez (Jihad, Trial By Fire), the result is precise, deliberate, and uncompromising. Echoes of classic Vancouver-styled 80s and 90s electro-industrial ripple beneath the surface, not as mere homage but as a foundation upon which they've constructed something audaciously original — melding legacy with innovation in a way that feels both reverent and forward-looking.
The frenetic drum’n’bass energy of “Nothing Changes” where the shimmering synths offer fleeting hope before the darkness swallows them whole may unsettle the purists. But as soon as the seismic bass line of “So Alien” sets off, all doubt dissolves into thin air. Its relentless energy and textural complexity command full attention.
Strategies of Dissent is a masterclass in tension and layered intensity. Jagged rhythms and pulsating bass forge a sound both mechanical and alive, breathing with haunting melodies and atmospheric flourishes. Environmental samples and industrial noise aren’t mere embellishments but integral to the storytelling that evokes societal collapse and related themes. Lyrically, the album confronts existential chaos, the fragility of the human psyche, and resilience amid decay. It thrives on contrasts — chaos and order, light and shadow, organic and synthetic. Gordon and Mendez reinvigorate the styles of dark and electro-industrial music by fusing tradition with modern production and experimental touches, crafting something timeless yet forward-thinking.
Impeccably produced, the album breathes with precision, every detail honed by Vincent Uhlig's (2nd Face, Thorn:Skull, The Impaled Kingdom) superb mastering work. Strategies of Dissent is a tour de force — challenging, captivating, and a testament to music’s power to mirror a world on the brink. (Jens Atterstrand)
The album is available digitally, in a 6-panel digipak CD-edition (with a 12-page booklet) and also in a black vinyl edition.