Noise Unit- Voyeur

Artist: Noise Unit
CD Title: Voyeur
Label: Metropolis Records
Reviewer:Matthew Johnson
Date: 8-10-05

Workaholic Bill Leeb, apparently not content with Front Line Assembly and Delerium, has resurrected the Noise Unit project again, this time as a collaboration with former band-mate Chris Peterson. This time around, things are less heavy and more atmospheric, full of down-tempo grooves and spacey electronic textures. It’s reminiscent of Delerium, but with less gothic and ethnic influences and more of a futuristic vibe. “Tighten Up” is particularly cold and mechanical, with the only human touch provided by sampled moans and whimpers, while “Strapdown” hints at funkiness with its chilled out robotic rhythms. While not entirely instrumental, the vocals on this album take a backseat to the arrangements, with Leeb whispering over minor key pianos on “Seclusion” and nervous analog pulses on “Paranoid.” The only real misstep here is “Liberation,” which reveals the industrial hip-hop aesthetic that first reared its ugly head on “Tactical Neural Implant” and seems to have infected Leeb like a case of herpes: invisible most of the time, but erupting in embarrassing outbreaks at the most inopportune moments. Other than that, however, this is a great piece of work, combining the brilliant production and arrangements of Delerium and the spooky futuristic atmospheres of Front Line Assembly while avoiding both projects’ more excessive moments.

Visit Noise Unit and the rest of the assorted Front Line Assembly side projects at www.mindphaser.com.