Tactical Sekt- Syncope

Artist: Tactical Sekt
CD Title: Syncope
Label: NoiTekk
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 6/14/06

If you're even remotely familiar with Tactical Sekt, you probably know what you're in for with their long-awaited second full-length. Tactical Sekt is the project of Anthony Mather, who also performs in Aslan Faction, so it's a safe bet that this is going to be full of heavy-duty terror EBM, and Syncope delivers, with lots of string pads, high-impact drum machines, evil samples, and thickly distorted vocals. "Awaken The Ghost" is an especially killer track and already a fan favorite, thanks to several compilation appearances, and the religious themes and ethereal background effects on "Chosen One" also make for impressive club material. On the downside, this kind of stuff does tend to get a little predictable, as evidenced by the sampled news clips from the September 11 terrorist attacks on "American Me," so the sheer weirdness of the ranting hitchhiker from There's Something About Mary on "You're Fired" makes for a welcome bit of variety. While this album is scheduled for a domestic release later this year on COP International, the limited edition import version from Noitekk is worth picking up for diehard EBM fans. Though it's still somewhat predictable, there's a little more diversity on the bonus disc, with "Enslaved Existence" giving the nod to a more classic EBM sound while "Siege Engine" and "Dead Bodies" add a bit of instrumental atmosphere, though they're still geared for the dance floor. "Rudimentary Abhoratien" is the real stunner, though; it's still straight-up terror EBM, but somehow it's uplifting, with lots of major-key ethereal effects giving a totally different feel to the high-BPM drum pattern and monstrous vocal processing. Mather's not a huge innovator, but there's a reason he's got such a cult following in the underground, and this is some of the scariest, most aggressive dance music you could ever hope to sweat and stomp to.

Visit Tactical Sekt online at www.tactical-sekt.com.