CD, Armalyte Industries, 2011
http://www.digicoremusic.com
While first listening to the first few tracks off the album “Without Freedom” by Digicore, all I heard was just typical alternative rock/hard rock with screaming vocals and hardly any electronics; I was wondering why this band had even submitted this release to Connexion Bizarre for review. Luckily I persevered and was somewhat pleasantly surprised as I heard more tracks further along the album.
This is still not an electronic-styled release by any stretch of the imagination, but songs later in the album incorporate a much stronger electronic element that make listening much more enjoyable. The rock aspect of this release varies from punk elements to a little heavy metal sound to a thrash influence; this aspect appears proficient and technically good, but there is nothing in it that really makes it stand out from other rock bands. The electronic aspect showcases some strong beats and breaks as well as a touch of drum’n’bass in some tracks. “One of Us” is one of the better tracks and reminds me of Cubanate, as this song is one of the better examples on the album where breaks, electronics and hard guitar parts are combined very well into one cohesive piece. The last track, “Cyberpunks Unite (2bit Edit By 2bit Hero)”, is probably my favorite track, as the electronics are pushed to the foreground, which makes the song a lot less ‘rocky’. The album improves on further listens and you can pick out more electronics with repeated attention, but it still doesn’t save this release from falling into mediocrity.
I believe if the band had concentrated more on combining electronic and rock in an equal proportion, this would have been a much more satisfying release. If you enjoy a lot of thrashy rock with just a small helping of electronics, this might be right up your alley; otherwise there is nothing that sets this apart from other rock bands where electronics are used.
[5.5/10]
— Kevin Congdon