Social Construct- By Any Means Necessary

Artist: Social Construct
CD Title: By Any Means Necessary
Label: Self-Released
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 11-19-05

This four-song EP is quite a promising little debut, with contemporary harsh EBM sounds tempered by hints of old-school flavor. Opening track “Enemy Inside” starts off with an onslaught of pounding industrial beats and thickly distorted vocals, but unlike many artists in the genre, Social Construct sees fit to keep things sounding a bit crunchy instead of giving into the temptation of overly clean production values. It’s a fitting aesthetic approach that works well with the band’s anarchist message. As far as lyrics go, Social Construct is all about unabashed left-wing extremism – one track is even entitled “Smash Capitalism” – delivered so directly it makes Skinny Puppy’s cut-up surrealism look like one of Bush’s State of the Union addresses. Social Construct’s message can be summed up with the Denis Diderot quote employed in “No Gods No Masters”: “Let us strangle the last king with the guts of the last priest.” It’s a throwback to the era of more politically inspired, punk-influenced industrial and a refreshing antidote to the meaningless abstractions of so many of today’s EBM acts. Don’t be mistaken, though; these tracks don’t feel like a lecture. They might make you think, but they’ll definitely make you dance.

Visit www.socialconstruct.net for more information.