Quote from: Lazrs3 on December 05, 2021, 02:02:51 AM
Latest Control Album - The Great Divide is just released at - https://malignantrecs.bandcamp.com/album/the-great-divide
Was listening quite a bit of this new LP and it is very good. Great to have also straight flat LP, with clean sharp cut! At first I was a bit skeptical would it be somehow too "current times", the impression what I got from artwork and the title. Of course, one can barely understand the vocals drenched in heavy use of efx.
Control is one of those bands who found his style quite early on. I'd say 2nd album is where he had the overall idea of CONTROL sound, and then for last 20 years, albums has been making that. It is far more "industrial music" in a way. Songs really are songs. There is almost always like "bass" (the crushing bassy heavy elements), "drums" (rhythm created by loops of something), "lead guitar" (more free form noises layered on top of things), and of course vocals, sometimes samples. And also more. I know there has been criticism that the records are so much the same.. yes, the overall style/approach is CONTROL, but when you actually listen the material, each song is played differently. There are different things being done, different nuances. Songs are different when you listen what is being played, not demanding re-inventing the entire soundpallette, music style or "genre" with albums and abandon the core what really is Control sound and style.
For years I have been thinking of re-issuing two Control albums on Freak Animal. Both albums hold the special place for me. First Control album was decent, but as said, it was Algolagnia what really set the tone for Control. It may be hard for newbies to travel back 20 years, and hear how advanced and unique material was then. It set the standard of American power electronics / industrial to unheard level of composition, technical knowhow etc. Also being so unique, that you will recognize Control in few seconds when it starts to play. That can't be said about countless projects. This album has been sold out so long, that while FA has been reissuing selected items from past discography, this was always in my mind as necessary to get reissue.
Meanwhile, Grunt visited USA for the first time and Control was one of the bands who was invited to be on the bill, and he gladly took part. Over the years, paths crossed several times, germany, UK, ... playing at the same shows and so on.
Control "World of Lies" album, that came out c. 15 years ago. There was couple albums between this and Algolagnia. I suggested artist, that what if he would intentionally break the template a bit, of course not completely abandon his style, but my suggestion was to make first vinyl LP of Control, and my hopes was that it would be a bit noisier, a bit less complex, more harsh and direct, a bit more upfront mix of vocals. Kind of capture the aggression we could see in live settings during these years. It felt like LP format would be ideal for it, as it would benefit from more stripped down approach and less massive sub-bass levels and stereo efx that work best on CD.
As a result, World of Lies happened. It was certainly all Thomas Garrison's vision, and 100% Control, but indeed mentioning possibility that what I would hope for, resulted Control doing one of his most aggressive and fierce albums!
I had been toying around with idea of re-issues for long, but as this topic suggests, the unfortunate news arrived last year. So while being in touch, had to suggest that perhaps reissues could happen now and some arrangements done that would hopefully help him in difficult times.
Great Divide LP is good to grab. For the older stuff mentioned above, during feb 2022 couple digipaks will be available! 100% original audio, artwork modified from original. Slightly improved, but no revisioned.
