Review: God Module – 'Prophecy'

GOD MODULE
'Prophecy'
METROPOLIS RECORDS

After the brilliant outing on 2014's 'False Face' God Module have returned with a brand new slice of horror drenched electro-industrial terror. The band's latest release 'Prophecy' continues to build on the fundamental God Module sound blending dark electro, ebm, techno, and industrial that mastermind Jasyn Bangert has developed since the band's inception. Despite the band's heavy release schedule over the past few years there is still plenty of inspiration left in Bangert as he keeps up the consistency and quality of the releases.

'Prophecy' is no exception to the rule. In it we find intact the hard dance beats, subtle grooves, spooky lead synths and monstrous vocals that have become synonymous with the God Module sound. Songs such as 'Wasteland', 'Secrets', 'Endless', 'We Are Legend', 'Abduction', and 'Transform' provide the album with a backbone of strong dance-friendly tracks that stead toe-to-toe with the best in the band's catalogue to date. Courtney Bangert's vocal contribution in particular to 'Abduction' lifts the dynamic of the song to create a real standout track on the album.

The production is strong if not deviating too far from the usual script. But there are still some little surprises in there that really serve to enhance some songs and set them apart from the pack. The vocals, heavily distorted as per usual, do tend to get a little swamped in places but this isn't too much of a problem when you're being swept along by an otherwise infectious track.

With 'Prophecy' God Module continue an impressive run of releases that started with 2011's 'Séance'. Jasyn Bangert knows what he wants, he knows what his fans want and he is more than happy to oblige. There is no compromise, just the band focusing in on what sets them apart and creating a dark and dance friendly monster in the process.

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Review: God Module – 'False Face'

GOD MODULE
'False Face'
METROPOLIS RECORDS

God Module's 2011 outing, 'Séance' saw their return after a four year absence and re-established them as one of America's most relevant gothic-electronic acts. The kookiness of some of their previous efforts had been dispelled and in their place as a far more sinister and serious album. In 2014 the band return with their fifth studio album 'False Face' and once again dip into their bag of tricks to unleash some treats.

God Module's playful past did cast a long shadow over 'Séance', leaving it feeling somewhat scattered in its commitment to a serious horror atmosphere. However, 'False Face' immediately sounds more sure of itself, and while it doesn't have one uniting theme running throughout, the tracks do compliment each other well. The abundant use of film samples, steady dance beats and simple dark electro style melodies draw from the band's back catalogue, but 'False Face' doesn't simply retread old ground. Instead the band have incorporated more pop sensibilities and created a solid, varied dance record that will tick the boxes for long-time fans and also be a good starting point for new listeners.

The dark and frantic 'A Good Night To Die', the hard techno of 'Nothing But Mine', the anthemic title track, the sing-a-long friendly 'Through The Noise', and dark and dirty 'Destroy The Day' are easily the highlights on the album. Each one has club potential written all over it and adequately shows off all the skills in the band's arsenal without needing to rehash what has come before. The heavy use of melodies is just what the band's sound needed to progress beyond the dark intensity of 'Séance'.

In terms of production the only real issue is that some of the samples don't quite sound like they sit right in the mix and over power the rest of the track. However these are minor blips on an album which makes a bold evolutionary step to a more emotionally resonant style of song-writing, which is executed with great skill.

'False Face' may not be an earth-shattering revelation for the rest of the music world. However it is definitely a strong point in the band's own discography that hints at new potential directions for subsequent releases.

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