Front Line Assembly

Front Line Assembly's entry in the Roadrunner label's 2008 two-fer series contains their 1992 album Tactical Neural Implant plus their 1994 effort Millennium. There are no bonus tracks or remastering, and the only new offering of any substance are the short liner notes by Gary Levermore, the man who founded the legendary industrial label Third Mind and also recorded under the name Bushido. As Levermore points out, this release covers the years before and after the band remixed Fear Factory, a highly influential gig which influenced the usually synth-only band to break out the heavy metal guitars. Tactical Neural Implant is quintessential early FLA with cold electronic landscapes under dark words that are sometimes samples, sometimes sung. Millennium is the crunching guitar album that divided fans and while it's the weaker of the two, it is an interesting blend of electro-industrial and metal; of futurism and rock-hard riffage. Loyal FLA buyers would have preferred an upgrade or expansion, but value-minded newcomers to the band are well served by this release. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide