Pheromone - Pheromone

The last outing I had with Pheromone left me with a bitter taste of piss and vinegar in my mouth as their 2014 album November was full of twelve industrial rock tracks that hardly did anything to differ from one another. Come 2016 and they are back with an ode to what they call the electronic era, which I guess would be now. Or something. The album is self-titled, so this should be the quintessential sound and stage for everything Pheromone will or will want to be in the future. 

What we get from this album is a less energetic and enthusiastic sounding Kevorkian Death Cycle. That is not meant to be insulting in any sense as KDC has been around for quite a while and their production is legendary. It's merely to draw comparisons. No, they do not come close what KDC can produce, but they are definitely getting there, and this album is a much needed improvement from November. 

The first major improvement I've noticed is that Pheromone has actually made their tracks sound unique from one another. While that is always something expected of a band, Pheromone's line of work has been less than stellar. This time it rises above that. Whether it's the more metal inspired 'Evolution, Execution', the chilled out ambient sounds in 'Exhale', or the strictly 90s era industrial rock sound out of 'The End Of Your Dreams', Pheromone has put some damn fine effort into this album. 

The only real complaint I have about the album is that it is missing the extra oomph that really makes a hit album. I cannot see any of these tracks being an amazing radio single that everyone would want to be hearing on a constant basis. The skill and production talent is there, now Pheromone just needs to take it one step further and create one or three killer tracks that will really sink their teeth right into our veins. 

With the power of 90s industrial rock ebbing through them, Pheromone gets a nod of approval from myself. However, now that I've seen them do this I know they can do much better. I'm just waiting for the day they release something that will really knock me off my feet. I have my eyes on you, Pheromone.
Mar 10 2016