Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Breach the Void - The Monochromatic Era (2010)
Sybreed wasn't the only Swiss cyber metal band around. When the drummer for their debut Slave Design, Alex Anxionaz left the band, he formed his own. His band started out as a deathly industrial metal band called Etna, but then changed into Breach the Void with a sound closer to his former band. Sadly, both Sybreed and Breach the Void split up in late 2013, which is a shame because of how solid both band's debuts are, including The Monochromatic Era...
I'm not the most experienced in cyber metal right now, considering I've only heard a few other Sybreed songs besides their debut in The Sphere monthly playlists. Breach the Void is a clear continuation of the direction Alex Anxionaz wanted to take on Slave Design, with its toolkit of crushing rhythms, clean/unclean vocals, and cyber synths.
"Propagate" is a good start to this cyber metal adventure, though a bit strained. "Subversive Mind" is so f***ing destructive, though it's toned down slightly by the clean singing. "Retribution Engine" maintains the Sybreed-like direction right from the intro. "Customized Genotype" hits hard with stronger synths and rhythms. We head deeper into the futuristic city stricken by the apocalypse.
The lyrics in "Falling" are totally understandable, especially in the first verse, "Simulated happiness is my everyday, f***ed up life". How can I not love cyberpunk melodeath track?! Well the harsh vocals could've been much better... "Digital Structure" reaches the top with those golden drums and vocals! As much as I would consider this song a pinnacle of modern industrial/cyber metal, the only slight problem is when the clean vocals sound a bit inferior to the guttural ones. Nonetheless, the band has some original talent there! "EC-10" is OK, but trying to add swearing to futuristic lyrics is a bit frustrating, "I cannot see my own f***ing immortality. Frustration of something I cannot see."
"Ruins" is slower, though the second half has more energy from the complex rhythms and soloing. "Spirals" has a more lively pace that makes up for the speed bumps some of the previous tracks had. "System Failure" is a beautiful two and a half minute outro, just a clean yet glitchy techno outro with choir samples. It's nice and all, but wouldn't it be nicer if we had one more song to make the album more complete?
All in all, the sole album by Breach the Void, The Monochromatic Era is a solid offering with many tracks to enjoy. Lots of tight rhythms here without having to go technical. Small issues aside, this is for anyone up for cyber metal with some pieces of djent and melodeath....
Favorites: "Subversive Mind", "Customized Genotype", "Digital Structure", "Ruins", "Spirals"