Freshfabrik - Finest

Pointlessly po-faced industrial rock from Hungary

Combining various aspects of thrash metal, techno, hip-hop and electronica, at one point in the late 80s/early 90s, industrial metal seemed like the future. Now, unfortunately, it has just become the default position of session rockers devoid of inspiration. This Hungarian five-piece have been doing the rounds for well over a decade, garnering local support slots with Muse and Rammstein, and it’s all too obvious in their defiantly Euro-stadium rock sound. Unless you happen to be a fan of the overwrought Lacuna Coil, then the bombast and cod-operatics of Time To Become One will probably grate somewhat, while nu-metal casts its ludicrous shadow across Knights De La Mancha. Everything here is executed with extreme precision. It’s also executed with grand pointlessness. Coming just months after groundbreaking albums by the likes of Mastodon, this seems laughably out of date. There are a couple of genuinely good tunes, such as the poppy Hit By A Lightning Flash. But they just go to prove that nothing ages you like technology. In Freshfabrik’s mind, they sound like Nine Inch Nails playing a gig on the deck of a spaceship as it crashes into a black hole. But they don’t. They just sound like Mister Mister with a drum machine.

Pure Mint | PMCDA-006

Reviewed by John Doran
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