Search - Various Artists :: Critical Mass 3

Audibly Making New Friends

TastyBabySyndrome | "Daddy Dagon's Daycare" - Proud Sponsor of the Lit | 03/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The well-accented, collective material saga continues, this time with the induction of Critical Mass Volume 3. Within it are many of the namesakes that keep my thoughts grouping at the EBM gateways of Metropolis, awaiting a time that will, at one time or another, lead to mass consumption and the opening of my arms to new material from bands I know/newer acquisitions. Out of all the things Metroplois does, this is what I find the most enlightening about the techno/industrial/electronica/EBM selections that are placed on the lists of these collections, because they are always adding in bands ranging in the motions of the electronic rainbow and are not coating albums with "filler" material. The majority of the songs, at least to a person that enjoys this genre of music, are appealing in many a right - and that is what I find important when buying something to sample new tastes. Within the tracks listed here, there are quite a few notables that I've found myself particularly fond of. First and foremost, the Funker Vogt track "This World" reflects what someone would normally expect from Funker Vogt, with its message leaning onto the antiwar side of the spectrum that FV is known to haunt. VNV Nation's Genesis is also something that is well worth mentioning, with its dancefloor friendly beat mixing with the aspects of questioning and beauty, fulfilling the expectations listeners have of VNV while introducing newer audiences to one of the better tracks off of Future Perfect. Apoptygma Beszerk's Unicorn is also something of a beautiful song, filled with the ballad-like sounds that make their music notable while still managing to keep a beat that expresses the "I will always love you until the end of the world" message flowing through the track. KMFDM's Urban Monkey Warfare, debatably one of the best songs off their debut release on the Metropolis label (besides anything Raymond Watts is involved in), is also a nice piece that exhibits the talents of the band, the industrialized beat they are known for, and some of the disdain that they, a Rip The System navigator, are known for. Then there is the Wumpscut track that is what one would anticipate from a drifter of the dark sides of the EBM spectrum, Icon of Coil's song that I found enjoyable, and the Peter Murphy track that also settled well with my listening ears. If you are a person seeking new experiences under the electronic rainbow, then these Critical Mass samplers (a 4th is coming soon) would be something that I would recommend for consumption, along with the Electropolis samplers that are available. Within both you will find an eclectic array of sounds that are suitable for anyone's listening pleasures, and they harbor within them many and many a tasty treat that could otherwise be overlooked when exploring the medium known as Metropolis records. Even for fans of the bands that are listed, many of the newer bands are also worth looking into, so it comes as an experience that is suitable for your ears as well."