Amongst many of the releases that come in this form, most of the tracks aren't new or are simply remixes. That's why I like this one because it does actually have a new song amidst the experimental mixes as well. Yes, First and foremost amongst the listings on the albums is the release from Funker Vogt, Horizon, that isn't available in any other forum. Its a good piece, with the standard lean into technotronic aggression that they were taking at the time, making it a worthy track to own and one to listen to over and over again. For fans of the band and simple listeners alike, it makes this album, at its low price, worth picking up. Still, there's quite a bit more. Next, Cleaner, a soft version of the Metropolis family and one I enjoy quite a bit, adds its own EBM specialties with vocals that stand with melody and not distortion, giving them a purer, more techno sound. It seems odd to be mixed in-between Funker Vogt and then, then Wumpscut, but that also gives it something interesting to note as well. Wumpscut's Hang Him Higher is something you'd expect from the band, with dark melodies mixing in shadowy tones that seem to be the staple that the band is known for. Its something that is somewhat hard to find, too, so its a good piece to find added to this album. Din Fiv, Informatik's softer side, is showcased with Through the Looking Glass, something that is high in beat classification but that is different for people only accustomed to Informatik because the darkness has been lost and the exploratory nature of lyrics have been adopted in a more techno-oriented form. The notables go on and on (with no disrespect to any of them for listing them this way because I love them all), with Front Line Assembly's Retribution mixing with Covenant's Afterhours, one of VNV Nation's most expressive releases Rubicon, Apoptygma Beszerk's Soultaker, Decoded Feedback's Darkness Inside of Me, and Velvet Acid Christ doing their thing before the fear of exploration overtook their need to press forward. In many a sense, it was probably one of the best samplers I've ever laid my hands on.

For anyone looking to see the softer side of the EBM rainbow without sacrificing beats or skill, this might be a good place to look. While it does have pieces that are a bit dark within it and a few that are driven, it isn't as heavy as the outing provided in the Electropolis releases and is a good introduction to what Metropolis has to offer. Besides, this disk is filled with bands that I would consider worthy of anyone's attention, so much so that it was hard for me to actually list them without providing in-depth expressions on each and every flavor. Regardless of objections I've seen, this comes HIGHLY recommended.


nice but not quite what i was looking for...   October 2, 2001
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

i bought this when i went into a store to ask this one guy who was into industrial/gothic type music, if there's any kind of music that combines the elements of trance and industrial. origionally i was looking for something that would be the perfect combination between paul oakenfold's tranceport, and the really noisy nin songs like heresy, reptile, and the big come down. you know, the noisy grating kind of stuff, with lots of pounding metallic drums.

he recommended this compilation because it featured many artists, some of which i'd heard of(velevet acid christ, front line assembly), some not(funker vogt, vnv nation), and was pretty cheap. so i picked it up and while it is enjoyable, it is easily a lot more trance than industrial. it's got the nice soothing string synthesizers, mixed together with really fat bass synths and distorted skinny puppy-style vocals/chicks with strong voices(think kmfdm).

for the most part, this is pretty danceable, the music hops along at a nice pace, and while it can sound pretty, the distorted vocals add a welcome edge. think of a slightly underproduced skinny puppy album remixed by paul oakenfold on a so-so day. no question, though, there are some great tunes on here that i'm liking the more i hear(tracks 1,3,4,8,9, especially), but in the end this isn't quite what i had in mind.

if anyone knows of some good noisy trance/industrial like i'm looking for. please email me. preferably something along the lines of a really distorted drum and bass album, or like meatier versions of 'only good christian is a dead christian', and 'superkalafrajilisticsadomasochism', both by foetus. industrial beats with meat. someone has to know what i'm talking about.. please contact me! i need music!


A good intro to EBM and Industrial   October 21, 2000
Not a lot to say about individual tracks because, save one, they have been heard before. Yet that is part of what makes this album a good choice to the fan, casual listener, or curious. The selection of tracks is suitably mild and danceable. Even the Wumpscut selection is one of the more mellow songs they do. As an addition to a collection, this grouping makes for good listening or dancing. For the un-initiated, think of NIN, but not as guitar heavy. Stand out tracks - Wumpscut - "Hang Him Higher", DIN_FIV - "Through the Looking Glass", VNV Nation -"Rubicon", and Apoptygma Berzerk "Soultaker".