Reviews list for Conflиct - Transform Into a Human (2014)

The Russian cyber/industrial metal scene has spawned a few cool bands like Illidiance. A more lesser-known band, Conflиct practically revives the groove-fueled industrial metal of mid-90s Fear Factory. I'm familiar with the vocals of Anna Hel from her guest appearances with Mechina, so let's find out if she has that strength in this album....

Conflиct has diverse maturity in their songwriting. The blend of industrial and groove is quite fresh and is different from how other bands do it. I enjoy Anna Hel's growls here, filled with emotion and passion. However, her cleans rely a little too much on autotune and almost come out as unnatural. I'm glad her contributions with Mechina involve just her growls. The riffing is often djenty, though they sometimes soften in the background to let the vocals shine.

"Circular Transition" displays that sound right away. The catchy heavy-melodic blend is similar to other bands like Amaranthe and Raintime. Anna Hel can perform her deep barks and softer singing quite well here. The djenty riffing doesn't cease in "Low Frequency Addicted". Then "Impulse Control Disorder" continues the brutality while having melodic sections that are like a more futuristic Trail of Tears. Next track "Mechanism of Life" is a true winning highlight. It sounds nicely like a sequel to the title track of Mechina's "The Assembly of Tyrants", along with having a Xerath-esque blend of symphonics and groove elements. I also love the anthemic chorus.

"Rebuild the Parasite" is another killer banger. Ambient electronic interlude "Lost Signal" is quite fascinating. It's a nice under 3-minute dystopian audio experience. "Red Line" has catchy melody alongside the industrial heaviness of late Red Harvest. "Half Man, Half Machine" has more of the djenty machinery. Keep in mind though that there's more of the industrial side of the sound to balance things out.

"Infinite Travel" is more deathly than the rest, similar to both Obscura and Omnium Gatherum, though there's still the usual melodic chorus. "The Elements of a New Era" is a perfect exploration through the more progressive side of the industrial/groove metal sound, and the vocals are better here. "Invisible Thread" has the most of the band's Fear Factory influences, maybe even Voivod, along with some deathly ideas from Becoming the Archetype and early Bleed from Within. The 14-minute ambient "Transformation" never really does much, but it's still good at some points. Some editions have a bonus track that is a wicked cover of the unreleased Fear Factory track "Ammunition".

It's actually quite cool how much of a master Anna Hel is at covering Fear Factory songs. She has also covered "New Breed" and "Zero Signal", the latter with The Last Bear Ender. Anyway, Conflиct have their cinematic djent-ish industrial groove metal sound going on that intrigues me. For those wanting more of the heavier side of Sybreed but with a female vocalist, I would recommend this offering. And I'm up to hearing more of Anna Hel's vocals. Well, mostly her growls....

Favorites: "Circular Transition", "Mechanism of Life", "Rebuild the Parasite", "Half Man, Half Machine", "The Elements of a New Era", "Invisible Thread"