Review by Jason Norwood
Rating: *****
Standout tracks: Brutal Deluxe, Monochrome Skies
Industrial music at large has seen a massive amount of cross-polination within the genre--everything from EBM to metal to powernoize goes in the blender in varying amounts, and what comes out can define or destroy a project. Cyanotic's latest, "The Medication Generation", does this so well that not only can I do that thing I hate and label it within a specific sub-genre, but I'm almost tempted to create a new one.
When I first listened to the album, I was initially reminded of the industrial rock of KMFDM. Alright, I admit it--I only skimmed it waiting for the bus one day. So I took it home and listened on my main system, and....well, that'll teach me. Death metal vocals, industrial rhythms, balls-to-the-walls guitar and lyrics that often discuss topics like transhumanism--all of it lead to an album that barely contains itself from one track to the next. It's not all sped up, either--slower tracks like "Monochrome Skies" display just how complex and fascinating the music can be.
This is an album that can pull in both traditional metal fans and industrial fans alike. It doesn't disappoint from beginning to end, it's somewhat of a head trip for those who need one, and takes all of its influences and pushes each one to a new level without falling into the trap of sounding like any of the stereotypes from them. Highly recommended.