1. Animatronic (1999)

Country: Norway

Animatronic (1999, Nuclear Blast)

Style: Industrial metal with black vocals and plenty of electronics

What, this used to be Covenant? Although stylistic innovation is commonplace among black metal bands (even the mainstream symphonic ones), this turn is sharp, complete, and came out of the blue. I was expecting a new album along the lines of Nexus Polaris and was hoping to supplement the CD section around Dimmu Borgir but the guys went and renamed themselves, not only spoiling my neat classification scheme but also playing music light-years away and to the right from their previous work. In retrospect, renaming the band was a good idea as the new entity bears little resemblance to the old, except that the same people are playing in it.

I bought the album only after listening to the very first song, ``Mirrors Paradise'' and hurried home to blast the neighbors out of their afternoon stupor. Although Lex Icon (who looks like a battered Marilyn Manson clone with a blackened eye) conforms to the more or less canonical black metal grim vocals, this time they are spiced with additional digital retouch in addition to the excellent female backing vocals by SJD of Cradle of Filth fame. It is a shame these bands do not list her as a regular member---her singing brings a recognizable dimension to the music.

The manic ``New World Order'' gives way to the slow and very dark-wavish ``Mannequin'' where Lex delivers his synthetic messianic messages in a subdued tortured manner, the choppy drums, and the artificial music move together in the haltering abrupt and inhumanly precise manner of a mannequin. That is, until the hard-rock guitar solo spoils it. We could have done without it for sure. ``Sindrom'' is another great song, reminiscent of KMFDM. ``The Human Abstract,'' borrowing its title from William Blake is a fast-paced, techno-industrial piece with some hints of metal. Finally, ``The Birth of Tragedy,'' borrowing its title from Nietzsche this time, is another Rammstein sound-alike and also happens to be one of the best songs of the album. Overall, a unique experience, definitely worth a second (and subsequent) looks. By the way, where are the lyrics to ``Spaceman''?

Verdict: If you are a KMFDM or Rammstein fan, this you will like. If you are an open-minded Covenant/Dimmu Borgir afficionado, the transition won't be smooth but it will be worth it. The cover artwork is atrocious.