Tactical Module - Into Exile

Alright, well, let me just begin off by saying that I have actually been anticipating Tactical Module's next full length release ever since they released their latest free EP, Resurrection. If I stated it once, I'll state it again, I was not a fan of their earlier, industrial metal works, however, they seem to have found a very nice place to get going with their latest release, into Exile.

Rather than just sticking with industrial metal as a sole focus, Michael Davis has done a tremendous job of pushing for industrial metal infused with EBM, however, that is not the only influence you will find within the album. I mean, as soon as I was hit with the first track, Awake, I definitely noted some dubstep elements here and there. They were not enough to completely alienate the song, and were very well balanced with everything else within the song.

Into Exile, the title track, seemed to actually get rid of the metal part of his approach, and went more for an EBM and drum and bass liking. I enjoyed it, nonetheless. What I did not like about the song, though, was the constant echo effect on the vocals; you can sound vicious and aggressive without altering your voice so much.

And then came along Outer City Limits, which has an awesome driving synth line, and has a very low fi metal guitar with plenty more of that drum and bass technique. It's an instrumental, and perhaps turned out to be one of my favorite songs on the album.

However, within the next two songs, I found myself being quite bored. Breathless was a standard EBM sounding song, and really didn't do much to move or alter the genre one way or the next, and didn't do much with the common sounds to continue on. Cypher 2.0 seemed to be a little too similar to previous songs, mainly due to the constant low fi guitar constantly going as a theme for the song.

Downpour kicked it back up a bit, well, actually kicked it back tempo wise. It was slower, and really played on the synths and drums, alternating between a hit to the drums and then a slap to the synth. It was an interesting mix up. Hellfire wasn't all too excitable for myself, and I don't really have much to say about it.

Now, the final original song on the album, Unbreakable, did a good job of getting rid of the echo effect that had been annoying me for a good portion of the album. At some points. But, then the problem comes along that the vocals sound a bit more far back rather than up front and in your face. That's something I did not appreciate.

However, we move onto the remixes. Now, depending on which version you get, you may get different remixes. The CD only remixes are the G-Mix and Defeat remixes of Into Exiled, and the Knife Fight remix of Breathless. The digital exclusives are that of the Detuned Destruction remix of Downpour, the D E P remix of Into Exile, and the Corroded Masterp remix of Breathless. And both versions come with the Ruinizer remix of Awake.

Most of the remixes do a really good job of extending the album's life and giving you something to work with. And, to be fairly honest, I quite enjoyed the remixes over the original songs. That's not to say that the album itself wasn't good, for it was, it's just that the remixes came off much more hard.

The Defeat remix gave the track much more synth support and gave me a good feel. the G-Mix gave it a tune up with dubstep and kept a few chimes working in here and there. Now, what I really enjoyed about the Knife Fight remix was that it kept in the drum and bass sounds very well, while just transfixing it to their own liking.

I absolutely adored the Detuned Destruction remix, as it created something bass oriented, and something that the dancefloors can jam out to. The D E P mix turned the track into a slower, more charming sounding song. The Corroded Master mix turned the song just into something that worked greatly with the synths.

Finally, we come across the Ruinizer mix. It transformed the song into something brutal, something to be feared and loved. It was just awesome. And, even though the vocals still sound a bit faded, it works really well with the remix. When all the beats are moving together within the remix, that's when it really shines.

Now, to end off this review with a concluding paragraph, I have to say that I am quite pleased with Tactical Module's direction. It's lovely, and it may not be perfected just as of yet, but to see an artist make this much change through self evaluation is astounding. A musician can create music, but it takes a true artist to be able to critique his own work and move forward, and that's exactly what this man has done with his newest album. I am anticipating his next release as I type this, and cannot wait to see what he comes out with next. Sep 20 2013