:Music Review: The Peoples Republic Of Europe – Military Industrial Complex

The Peoples Republic Of Europe – Military Industrial Complex
Release Date: April 23, 2012
Label: Dark.Descent
Website: tproe.com

Review by: Review by: Neska Lapicki

So a month or 2 ago, a good friend (who clearly understands my musical taste) suggested that I check out The Peoples Republic Of Europe. He sent a YouTube link, which I loved, and shared. Much to my delight, a scant couple of weeks later, their new album Military Industrial Complex was sent to COMA for review. OMG squeee!!! Try to imagine that magical place that exists between late 80s Test Dept. and early Terrorfakt. Then turn it up to 11. Serious NOM.

A brief check of Discogs revealed a ridiculous number of releases dating back to 2001, which led me to spontaneously message the band that I had NO idea how I had managed to miss them for so long, but was awfully happy to have stumbled across them. Right place, right time, and all that. Feedback from similarly wired friends was likewise full of win, so I decided I would request the new album for review, bought shiny new headphones, and dived right on in…

We begin with “The Holographic Principle”, an absolutely haunting and brooding track filled with echoey piano, thought-provoking samples, glitchy synth washes, and ribcage-vibrating low-end. Seven full minutes of near drone quality ambiance, but chock full of interesting beats, booms, and surprises as well. “Black Sky” launches right in with a face-pounding beat, momentarily overlaid with complex and deeply layered rhythms, groaning synths, and the most adorable squeaky windshield-wiper sound I have ever heard ever. “The General And The Mountain” begins with a whispery eerie sample, and progresses through layer ofter layer of grinding sandpapery noize hotness.

“Moloch” once again starts right off with a face punching bassbeat, then quickly layers in epic scratchy synths, distorted far-away vocal elements, and a genuinely spectacular array of delicious rhythm. “Approach (clipping mix)” is a full-on assault of all senses. Seriously. Grinding, glitchy, deeply sexy, and redolent of every debaucherous club night you can think of. On fire. “Maximum Control Zone” seriously just SCREAMS first album Terrorfakt at me. And understand, I don’t mean that as a slight, since that is one of my favorite musical pieces of all time, and somehow TPROE managed to evoke that same feel more than a decade later :)

“Hell (parts one and two)” are the next two tracks on MIC, and utterly re-enforce that despite how you have heard this band categorized up til now, the simple truth is that they are in fact ALL OF THE THINGS. A genuine wall of noize to make the heart swell and the brain explode just a wee. “Phantom Skies” cuts in next and actually kicks you in the dick, whether you have one or not. An utterly down and dirty grind that completely defies classification.

And then, there is “Military Industrial Complex”. A sample-heavy and darkly sexy dancefloor-packing trainwreck of win. Does that sound like a contradiction? If it does, listen to this album, because in all seriousness I can utterly say that this title track is an absolute flagship for an album that simultaneously defies genre while representing a metric fuckton of genres. I have been chair-, car-, cubicle-, and living room-dancing all week!!

1. The Holographic Principle
2. Black Sky
3. The General And The Mountain
4. Moloch
5. The Approach (clipping mix)
6. Maximum Control Zone
7. Hell part I
8. Hell part II
9. Phantom Skies
10. Military Industrial Complex

Download Military Industrial Complex from Amazon MP3

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