Left Spine Down- Fighting for Voltage

ARTIST: Left Spine Down

ALBUM: Fighting for Voltage

LABEL: Bit Riot Records

REVIEWER: Matthew J.

DATE: 2-17-09

On their eagerly-awaited full-length debut, Canada's Left Spine Down brings the "punk" back to "cyberpunk" in a way we haven't really seen since the days of legendary Los Angeles act STG. Already causing a stir with their energetic live shows and self-released EP, Left Spine Down have definitely raised the bar with this 17-track album, a cohesive blend of aggressive industrial rock, driving electronic rhythms, and raw-edged power chords all held together by a sticky glue of samples and distortion that recalls Chemlab's first album. What really sets this album apart, though, is the punk spirit of the thing. Plenty of bands have combined heavy guitars with industrial, and Left Spine Down are clearly capable of pulling that off as well; "U Can't Stop the Bomb" is solid mosh pit fuel augmented by sudden stops and starts and a rhythm track laden with glitches, and "Hang Up" uses a rollicking piano line, of all things, to amp up its thrashing guitar chords and jackhammer rhythms. But the biggest gems here owe less to Ministry or Acumen Nation than to classic punk and hardcore acts like The Dead Kennedys. Title track "Fighting for Voltage" is a no-holds barred anthem that will make you want to run riot in the streets, or at the very least scream along with the lyrics until your lungs hurt, and "Prozac Nation" is all biting snarls and shout-along choruses delivered over a snapping breakbeat. Industrial rock at its best is usually an outlet for anger, but this takes things a step further; it not only provides a release for your frustration, it lights a fire under you, like the best punk albums, to go out there and do something to fix things.

Join the fight online at www.leftspinedown.com.