Hoodoo Engine is a new band, and this is their first release, in the style of Front Line Assembly, KMFDM, Zeromancer and Nine Inch Nails – or even Marilyn Manson. We're talking industrial metal with overt flirtations with pop sensibilites. The nine track album is mostly well produced and the musicians are obviously well versed in their genre. Still the album fails to make an impression, and ends up as quite anonymous. It has none of the aggression of Ministry, lacks the subtleties of FLA but is certainly on par with most of KMFDM's work.These comparisons are perhaps unfair. Hoodoo Engine is more than capable of evoking memories of the genre as it was during its heyday, and if you're looking for a loving tribute it works. Your money would be better spent completing your collection of early FLA however.
The music is mostly electronic, with distorted guitar for drive and edge. The guitar playing is certainly technically apt, but the production drowns the guitar in synthesized melodies and removes any potential edge from the guitar. The vocals and lyrics are a clear and capable reference to Bill Leeb's style of singing, but nowhere near as atmospheric as Leeb at his best.
Track four, Elohim, sums up the album pretty well. Instant hit material on the various dance floors, with cliched synths, distorted vocals and drums you've heard a million times before. I wish the band would let the guitar carry the music more of the time, and dare to be more angry. The two last tracks show some promise, but most of the album is just simply anonymous. By the time I get to the more interesting bits my mind is numbed from the tedious cliches of the first part and I find myself unable to care about the music. All the tracks are well produced, sounds clean and the musicians are skilled, but that just doesn't cut it for me.
If you love this kind of comercialized "industrial" metal and don't really care about progress or originality you might just love this album. It's tailor made for the modern crowd of PVC rivethead chicks, and I'm not really the target audience, I know. But still I have to admit I can't find any reason why you should buy this album. If you don't allready have it go buy Improvised Electronic Device instead. If you have, treat yourself to a meal or throw the money out of the window.
I'm certain Hoodoo Engine will find their audience more than willing to spend their money on the album however, and that's all fine. I wish them all the best.
USA, self released, 2010
Tracklist:
1 Old no. 1
2 Nefarious
3 EgoWhore
4 Elohim
5 Defcon Dawn
6 Hoodoo Luv
7 Level 5
8 the Fat and the Thin
9 Venomous Minds
Band website: http://www.hoodooengine.com
Buy the album here: http://www.hoodooengine.com/p/store.html
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