Hellbent

What a star-studded unit this one is. Combining the talents of Charles Levi (Thrill Kill Kult), Eric Powell (16Volt), Martin Atkins and several members of Chemlab, there indeed is a whole array of influences shining through on these 12 songs. Atkins, most noted for his work with Killing Joke and Ministry, does a terrific job of producing this project. I've always thought of great producers as being like an extra member of the band, and in this case, Atkins is just that. Everything is exactly where it should be: vocals are in place, rhythm tracks are set right in the mix and there is enough instrumentation to give the works enough of a musical feel. For all you DJs out there, there are some snappy dance numbers on Hardcore Vanilla. "Switching Off" has that Nine Inch Nails dance floor appeal, very catchy and easy to move to, while "Jet Boy Machine" is another memorable piece that will no doubt quickly become a crowd pleaser on this record. Overall, there is just enough of a blend of noisy disorder, coherent beats and discernible vocals to make Hardcore Vanilla a worthwhile listen.