FGFC820 - Defense Condition 2

It's been 3 years since the bells stopped tolling, and the final drum beat was programmed. In that time, Rexx Arkana and Dracos have been watching world events from the FGFC820 Bunker, and waiting.

Those familiar with this Harsh EBM act know them very well for their dedication and passion to writing political music, with an onus on the American military, civilian warfare, and loss of innocents. In the Three years leading up to this EP, enough has happened for a pantheon of albums to be written, and if I know this act at all, they won't sit silently.

We kick off with 'Insurrection (Call To Arms Mix)' - in typical FGFC820 fashion, it's an instant assault of Rexx's fierce vocals, complete with genuinelly memorable synth, drumwork that is like machine-gun fire, and the sampling is a given. The duo seem to despise what America is becoming, and lets be honest, can you blame them?

'Revolt Resist (Reload Mix)' samples American soldiers shouting their decree - and it leaves us with no doubt that the statement the duo are making hasn't lost any of its potency over the years. When you can produce such a powerful concept, and make each track uniquely memorable and danceable, then you can consider yourselves among the elite of the genre.

As each track on this EP progresses, I find myself increasingly excited about the upcoming full length 'Homeland Insecurity' - since the beginning, I've always considered this project under-rated. It's undoubtedly one of the bigger Harsh EBM acts, but this should be entering the domain of acts such as VnV Nation.

'We Don't need no World War III' is the first track on the EP that I listened to on repeat, and for a split second, I find myself shocked that I almost forgot how valuable a contribution Dracos' production skills are. It would be the easiest thing in the world for the duo to make the Drums sound military, produce them above everything else, and let the synth play second fiddle; instead they allow the sampling, vocals, and synth work to lead the beat, and it's this effect that reinforces the point that FGFC820 are always trying to make. It's almost like a 'Fuck it, let's dance', except the duo genuinely believe what they preach; there is no glamour in war, and each track is written to make you think - at times I wonder why I'm enjoying such a dark subject, and I feel deeply uneasy.

The EP has two additional extra tracks 'Resurrection 9' and 'God & Country', and these are merged in with a heap of remixes from acts such as Arian 1, Funker Vogt, Accessory, and Komor Kommando.

Two words will sum up this release better than any amalgamation of 'great', 'excellent' and 'stunning' ever could.

Welcome Back. Oct 30 2011