Control Human Delete - The Prime Mover Review
by Matt Hensch
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"The Prime Mover" has a lot in common with Mayhem's "Grand Declaration of War." Control Human Delete is, of course, an industrial black metal band incorporating a variety of synths and experimental techniques that summon a vibe not far from futuristic or mathematical. I need to stop for a bit and add something about myself: "Grand Declaration of War" is probably the most underrated album ever. Seriously, I love everything from the militaristic vocals to the off-kilter rhythms; it blows my mind every time. Given the parallels between this and that Mayhem record, I'd assumed this would've performed figurative fellatio on my inner industrialist, but instead the film of flashy, futuristic themes shines little light on an album that is surprisingly immobile and humdrum. Not the "Reign in Blood" of awful, but it certainly does not provide much beyond the colorful skin of Control Human Delete.I guess it just shocks me how standard this is. Control Human Delete pretty much runs with a strict, myopic formula that carefully places predictable black metal riffs with little progressive rhythms over basic extreme metal percussion and harsh vocals. The sound is often manipulated with digital effects, and the drums have a computerized overtone which makes the whole performance much more volatile and hot. They usually throw in different vocal techniques that aren't quite harsh as well, at times diving into narrative sections and unusual methods that are, you know, futuristic. Obviously that's what "The Prime Mover" is all about, omitting that innovative atmosphere. Well, I suppose Control Human Delete manages to capture their bionic leprechaun, but at the same time they end up running into a lot of problems that are inexcusable given how wide and open-ended something like this is. How they were able to imprison the album is something worthy of research. "The Prime Mover" sounds like Control Human Delete based their songwriting on a stagnant list instead of letting the songs write themselves. Several of the riffs, rhythms, vocal patterns, drum sections, and progressive elements, which at first give way to a fresh experience, eventually appear recycled and too similar to make anything stand out, like they put one song in a Xerox machine and photocopied fifty minutes of material. The "Continuous Data" tracks are pretty cool, and at first glance "The Prime Mover" makes its presence known, but it's just too longwinded and uneventful considering its lingering running time and boundless design. Each anthem has moments that are noteworthy, yet there are several periods within "The Prime Mover" that are stale and almost completely forgettable. Dormant lies the potential of "The Prime Mover." Shame.
Control Human Delete - The Prime Mover Rating:5.0
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