Revelations 23 (Remastered)

Mentallo & the Fixer's second release is more polished and finely tuned than their previous material, but in the meantime they have managed to lose nothing of their aggressive and strong electro-industrial sound. If anything, this revision adds a sharp clarity and uncluttered energy to their style, and a distinct evolution from their first release, No Rest for the Wicked. Their use of uncomplicated and effective sounds, in addition to the abandonment of the usual song structures that most industrial music to date has adhered to, gives the focus over to the melody, which is also often very simple and has an invariably harsh intensity. There must be something to it — four of the tracks on Revelations 23 are epics of over seven minutes apiece, and never seem to diminish in power. This is perhaps partly due to Mentallo & the Fixer's ability to make simple melodies and harsh sounds and pack them with a unique energy which demands repeated listening (especially the longer tracks, such as "Legion of Lepers," " Pulse Hemorrhage," and "Ancient Languages"), and partly due to each song's unpredictability (after abandoning verse and chorus, Mentallo & the Fixer keep the listener guessing as to the next direction of a track). Revelations 23 therefore has a memorable and original style which is not easily forgotten, reminiscent of bands such as early Laether Strip perhaps in their simple methods, but not in sound.