Search - Bio-Tek :: Punishment for Decadence

Prolific EBM Artist Does It Again

MTJones | San Jose, CA United States | 01/15/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Jonathan "JS9" Sharpe has a ton of EBM-related projects, from New Mind to Hexedene to Hyperdex-1-Sect, but they usually bring in either another collaborator or another genre that tinges the results somewhat. This is not the case with Bio-Tek, his purist EBM project. After releasing a couple of albums through various labels, JS9 came to Doppler Effect Records to get his latest effort, Punishment for Decadence, released. I can see why DFX picked him up; this album is solid, winning over even a jaded EBM fan like myself. Although the S&M imagery is too typical for an industrial release, the music is not. It does have the usual assortment of 16th-note basslines and aggressive synths, but they're arranged in catchy ways, interacting cleverly with melodic ambience to produce very accessible results. The entire album is a treat for the ears, especially on high points like "Razorback," "Eve Black/Eve White," and "Mary Alice." I'm not painting Punishment for Decadence as an innovative release. It's still EBM and follows the general formula. But the writing is much better than that found on other acts, such as :Wumpscut: and Apoptygma Berzerk. A fan of EBM would do well to pick this up for a treat."