Fashion Bomb- Angels to Some, Devils to Others

ARTIST: Fashion Bomb

ALBUM: Angels to Some, Devils to Others

LABEL: Superdead Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 10-24-07

The latest act to take on the new industrial metal scene, Fashion Bomb bring a subtle undercurrent of electronics to what is at heart a blast of good old-fashioned head-banging metal. On "Christ Puncher," which deserves extra credit for incorporating an obscure reference from "The Simpsons," the sampler provides a hint of industrial flavor, but it's the ballsy guitars and throat-rending bellows that provide the "punching" in question. Likewise, "Mold" has an undercurrent of programmed beats, but the tight interplay of gritty guitar and bottom-heavy bass are more Korn than KMFDM. "SS" sees the band exploring their industrial side a bit more with heavy distortion on the vocals, but the brutal guitars keep things well on the brutal end of the spectrum, though fans of Acumen Nation's more metal-inspired material should find plenty to keep them happy. Fashion Bomb are more a metal band with industrial overtones, rather than the other way around, but they do a brilliant job distilling the raw aggression of both genres, not to mention holding everything together with some tight musicianship and vocal production that squeezes all the emotional range possible out of lead singer Val's layered bellows, screams, and occasional melodic moments, with the chorus on "Low" standing out as a particularly sharp example. Fashion Bomb's sound will appeal particularly to fans of similar crossover acts like Professional Murder Music or Dope, but anyone with some anger to burn off will be able to get down to this in the mosh pit.

Check out Fashion Bomb's Web site and interact with the band and other industrial metal fans at www.fashionbomb.net.