| Reviewed
by: Darklight
I liked the debut Dismantled release as it offered
good solid electro-industrial with distorted vocals. It didn't really
stand out as anything new or different, but it was still quite enjoyable
nonetheless. I basically expected more of the same from this follow-up,
but it's not the same at all. This Post Nuclear
CD sounds almost nothing like the first Dismantled
release.
Gary Zon, the man behind Dismantled, has matured and
advanced as a music developer and singer. The first big noticeable change
on this CD is that Gary rarely distorts his voice. Almost all of his
singing on this recording is...well...singing. In the past he basically
growled out words with added distortion, but now he actually sings with
slight harmony, with his clear and untreated voice being heard. And
since he has a good deep voice, and can sing well, this is a good thing.
There are still occasions in some of the songs where he shouts out the
lyrics with distorted anger, but not too often.
The music on this release also stands out more than it did on the previous
Dismantled release. There's a lot of tempo changes and mood varieties
in each of the songs offering diversity throughout. The electronic programming
is energetic, the beats are heavy and the melodies are dramatic. Everything
is layered and textured extremely well offering a full and complete
sound. I especially like how some of the songs throw a lot of twists
and turns at the listener by being angry and aggressive one minute,
and calm and mellow the next. Gary does a splendid job of growling with
distorted anger during the harsh moments, and singing with harmony during
the melodic ones.
There's electro-industrial, dark EBM and even a dash of synth-pop at
times. Some tracks even have crossover appeal with a slight industrial
rock sound, minus the guitars. Overall, this CD reminds me of Imperative
Reaction's Ruined release. It
has a similar vibe to it with some of the songs offering a slightly
Amercian industrial rock sound without guitars.
Most of the songs are rather energetic and aggressive perfect for the
dance floor. But there's a few slow, cold and somber dark ballads with
moody atmospheres and haunting melodies complimented by Gary's emotional
vocal delivery. These tracks especially sound different from past Dismantled
songs.
Basically, this CD sounds almost nothing like the previous Dismantled
recording. Gary has really improved as a singer/songwriter, and shows
a lot of maturity on this CD. He does a great job of creating interesting
dark electronic music with emotionally charged vocals.
|
| Reviewed
by: Darklight
I was first introduced to the music of Dismantled through
a demo. I liked what I heard, and felt Dismantled should have no problem
being signed to a label. And it wasn’t much longer after this that I
heard Metropolis Records had signed the project. This nine track self-titled
release is the debut for the act.
Dismantled is the solo project of Gary Zon. He credits
his biggest influence to be Front
Line Assembly. And while some FLA elements can be heard
in his music, Dismantled is far from just a FLA clone.
The music presented here is pure dark and aggressive electro-industrial
in its truest form. Noisy and chaotic malfunctioning electronics go
haywire as bass beats blast in every direction over dark dramatic disturbing
melodies. Gary growls out his lyrics in a traditional distorted manner
that fits well with the somewhat experimental music. Basically, the
music of Dismantled is old school electro-industrial
in the tradition of early Evil’s
Toy, Front
Line Assembly, Leaether
Strip, Velvet
Acid Christ and :wumpscut:.
But Gary manages to add in modern touches to his songs to make his music
sound current.
While some tracks are energetic and catchy enough to be club hits, the
overall feel of the album is mid-tempo offering more mood and less upbeat
make-you-move sounds. I find this album to be better suited for personal
enjoyment in a car, at home, or with headphones. This is due to the
fact that Gary makes his music very full, layered and textured with
a multitude of various programming sounds, effects, samples and beats.
There’s a lot happening within the songs that require repeated listens
and attention to hear.
At a time when so-called "future pop" seems to be all the rage, it’s
nice to have albums such as this Dismantled release
that stick to the old way of doing things which includes anger and aggression
combined with noise, chaos and distorted vocals. If you like old school
dark electro-industrial music, this CD is for you.
|
| Reviewed
by: Darklight
This six song demo offers some great dark and aggressive electro-industrial
music. Energetic electronic programming, frantic beats and haunting
melodies are joined by distorted male vocals. It’s a formula that has
been done before, but Dismantled does it just as good
as the big names out there.
The rhythms and beats in these songs grab you instantly and pull you
in. There is a lot happening here with a constant onslaught of interesting
and exciting sounds and melodies. The songs are structured well with
a lot of catchy hooks and choruses. Some tracks are angry and aggressive
while others are a little more futuristic sci-fi with an EBM vibe. Each
track is just as good as the next, and all offer a good amount of variety.
This band needs to be signed to a label so that they can release a full-length
CD.
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